


The Flying Ecdysiast

by immopengu, justanexercise



Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: F/F, Humor, Stripping, lap dance, romantic kalex
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-10
Updated: 2017-05-23
Packaged: 2018-10-02 00:53:18
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 25,835
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10205087
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/immopengu/pseuds/immopengu, https://archiveofourown.org/users/justanexercise/pseuds/justanexercise
Summary: By the end of the day, three rumors grace CatCo.Kara is a part time stripper.Kara is Supergirl.Kara’s girlfriend is her pimp.AKAKara’s new clothing choices snowball into Stripper vs Supergirl rumors.





	1. Chapter 1

 

 

Sneaking a peek into Cat’s office, Kara confirms that her boss is in fact still engrossed in the new covers before she tiptoes over to Winn’s desk.

“Hey,” Kara nudges him.

“What?” Winn barely looks at her, playing Minecraft on Cat’s payroll.

“Notice anything?” Kara does a twirl in front of him, too fast for him to admire the bounce and shine of her blonde hair.

“Uhh...what?” Winn tries to not stare too hard at her.

“Look!” Kara does another twirl. “Nothing?”

“What am I looking for?”

Kara giddily does a contained shuffled dance. “I got new clothes!”

“Oh!” Winn nods. “You look amazing - they look amazing on you.”

“You can’t tell can you?” Kara asks, her eyes twinkling.

“Of course I can tell, new clothes, totally.”

“Not that. They’re tear away clothing, you can’t even see the velcro.” Kara turns around again, pointing to her skirt. “Rao, it is so much easier to rip off now.”

Neither Winn nor Kara notice that their co-worker, Brad from Sales on the twelfth floor, pausing near their desk, jaw dropping at what is being discussed. Or what he thinks is being discussed.

Winn snickers. “Alex getting sick of sewing the buttons back on for you?”

Kara pouts, fiddling with the lapels of her shirt. “It’s part of my job.”

“You really don’t need to. I mean, like, every time you just rip your shirt open--”

“It’s my favourite part of the job,” Kara confesses. “I mean, sometimes it’s fun, like last week when there was that woman? And she had that thing strapped on under her dress and almost impaled me with it?” Kara waves her hand generally around her crotch area. The alien woman she fought had strapped some kind of kinetic knife to the inside of her thigh and nicked Kara’s shoulder with it. It had left a bit of a scratch but Kara’s Kryptonian physiology had held out. “She was fun. But last night, those two guys weren’t as fun.”

“Two guys?” Brad mouths to himself, feeling like he was in the twilight zone. Sweet and gentle Kara? Scandalized by Britney’s unedited wardrobe malfunction Kara? Can’t look Harold from Legal in the face after he showed up at Legal vs. Accounting softball game in a tight tank top that showed off his pecs?

“And then, when I finished them off? Yuck. They kind of exploded and it got all over me.” Kara scrunches up her nose in disgust. “But usually, same old song and dance, you know? So ripping my clothes off is something I can consistently depend on, and it cheers me up.”

Brad has heard enough. Speed-walking over to Kelly’s desk, he drops off a couple of files, then practically runs for the elevator. Innocent, puppy dog Kara has a dirty dirty secret. He could not WAIT to tell the guys in sales!

“What’s wrong with Brad?” Winn asks aloud, watching as the man glances back at them. Brad quickly slips from their minds as Cat shouts for Kara.

Winn quickly ducks his head, minimizing his game while Kara bounces over to Cat, notebook at the ready.

The sales department has never had such juicy gossip since that accounts executive left his wife for the mail room boy. For now, the gossip is contained to just the few departments sharing the floor with sales, a few whispers to some interns across building.

Too bad for the Super Friends, they were busy in their super secret room, away from the gossipy sales department, helping Supergirl take down the latest villain-wannabe.

Her return does little to dispel the rumor.

“Wow, what happened to you?” Winn asks, noting Kara’s annoyed expression. “Did you change your clothes?”

“Don’t remind me,” Kara moans. She smooths down the normal non-snapping button up.

The office quiets down just a tad, enough to not rouse any suspicion but just low enough to hear Winn and Kara’s not so hushed conversation. Vivian from Legal hovers closer, clutching at the documents Ms. Lane needs Ms. Grant to sign ASAP. The documents can wait.

“After I changed back, by the way putting tear away clothes back on is so annoying,” Kara says with a small huff. She waves her hand. “Anyways, there was this bodega stick up and the robber was already outside and running towards me and I couldn’t change back so I just...tripped him.”

“Okay, that doesn’t explain the clothes.”

“I tripped him into a waitress holding 10 drinks.” Kara mimes a flood pouring all over her, complete with sound effects ending with a whoosh and boom.

“That...would explain it.” Winn scratches at his face.

The whole bullpen freezes at Cat clearing her throat. She shoots them all a glare and they all hustle back to work.

“You,” Cat points to Vivian.”I don’t pay you to stand there and gawk.”

“Yes Ms. Grant!” Vivian shuffles over and hands Cat the documents. She nervously plays with the hem of her blazer, avoiding eye contact.

“Is that all?” Cat signs her name with a flourish over Kara’s desk and thrusts them back in Vivian’s face.

“Yes Ms. Grant,” Vivian says.

“Get back to work.”

Vivian smiles tightly at Kara, and not paying attention, trips over her own feet, documents scattering.

“Ah--”

“Got you!” Kara has Vivian in her arms and all Vivian could see is bright blue eyes and a worried smile. “Are you okay, Vivian?”

Vivian glances down, noticing just a bit of blue and red from one button Kara managed to forget along her chest. Red and blue...Vivian could feel her heart going double time as Kara easily places her back on her feet, and her and Winn help her gather up her documents.

“Thanks, Kara. Thanks, Will.”

“It’s Winn.”

Kara  moves to place her hands on her hips, almost striking a pose and in the last second, Kara’s hands slip on her skirt and she ends up just swinging her arms awkwardly with a nervous laugh. “Any time, Vivian. Be careful!”

Vivian rubs her eyes and turns back, squinting but Kara’s shirt is suddenly buttoned all the way. Vivian chews her lip. She can’t WAIT to tell the gals at legal!

Vivian runs back down to Legal, using the stairs instead of the elevators so she doesn’t have to wait. Running into the department, her sudden, obviously rushed appearance has several law clerks and legal assistants looking up from their desks.

“You guys… I think Kara is Supergirl!” Vivian says in a loud whisper.

“Kara?” Priya, one of the junior lawyers, pokes her head out of her office. “Sweet, clumsy, gosh-darn-it, Kara Danvers? Golly-gee, Kara Danvers? Really? Come on, pull the other one.”

Priya disappears back into her office, rolling her eyes. Some of the legal assistants go back to work, eyes back on their computer screens. Legal doesn’t mess around and they are a sensible bunch. They also have a lot of work to do, what with Cat Grant being their boss. But that also means the work is hard and sometimes boring and they, just like any other department, like to take breaks however they can to break the monotony of paper-pushing.

“Okay, I’ll bite. Why do you think Kara is Supergirl?” Harold, one of the legal assistants, asks. The staff in Legal are a sensible bunch, which means they want proof with their gossip.

A loud groan comes from Priya’s office. “Harold, DO NOT do this! We are not entertaining the idea of Kara being Supergirl!”

“I saw it!” Vivian blurts out. “The Supergirl costume, under her shirt!”

Now that has everyone’s attention. Another lawyer, Alison, walks out of her office and leans against her doorframe.

“There was that time that she lifted her desk one-handed to get her pen from under it.” Alison crosses her arms, a look of wonder on her face. “Can you imagine, Supergirl working with us?”

“Pffff.” Dan, the mailroom clerk who had been waiting on the Legal floor for mail to be rushed out, rolls his eyes. “Hey, maybe that’s just her stripper costume.”

“Her what?” The room falls silent, everyone suddenly noticing Lucy Lane, the head of their department, standing there looking furious. “I think you need a visit to HR.”

“Hey, wait.” Dan holds up a hand. “It’s true! I heard that Kara Danvers works part-time as a stripper! One of the guys in Sales overheard her and the IT guy talking about stuff!”

Lucy cast a furious look around, causing her lawyers to retreat back into their offices and the support staff to immediately duck their head back down to work.

“Almost fifty percent of the time, we are dealing with HR-related issues where legal has to get involved,” Lucy’s voice is soft and dangerous. “Spreading malicious gossip and rumours is behaviour that you can be disciplined for. So what you’re telling me, Dan, is that you and Sales need a visit from HR and we need to bring in the workplace harassment and training programs AGAIN.”

“But--”

“Be thankful it was me and not Ms. Grant that heard you.” Lucy’s murderous look shuts Dan up immediately. “You would be fired so fast and out that door it would make your head spin.”

Lucy stomps back into her office and shuts the door, angrily beginning an email to HR. Kara is a ray of sunshine! How dare they spread rumours about her!

While their boss types away, Vivian’s blackberry vibrates at her hip. Vivian has been added onto the ‘Kara Danvers: Supergirl or Stripper?l’ WhatsApp groupchat.

By the time lunch is over, the rumour mill is churning with fresh material.

\---

Alex strolls right into CatCo, nodding at tiny female Sam the security guard and giving a raised eyebrow at old male Sam who’s also giving her the stink eye. He’s still holding a grudge it seems. She almost bypasses the front desk when a girl calls out to her.

“Miss! I’m sorry you can’t just walk up there without identification.”

Alex turns to her, tilting her head. New receptionist, Eve Tessmacher from her ID badge. “Right sorry,” Alex says, giving Eve an apologetic smile. “You’re new here aren’t you?”

“Oh God,” Eve mumbles. “You’re not part of management are you? I don’t know everyone yet and--”

“No no, don’t worry I’m not. Just visiting.” Alex brandishes the take out bag in one hand, then holds out the other hand to Eve for a handshake.

“Oh!” Eve blushes at Alex’s half-smirk. “And who are you visiting?”

“Kara Danvers, but don’t tell her, it’s a surprise,” Alex says. “Um, but check. I should be on her list of approved walk-in visitors.”

Eve looks around her desk, still new to the job, and flips through the notebook Kara had given her on the first day with hand-written trouble-shooting advice. Kara is so nice. Eve flips the book open and on the inside of the front cover, Kara had written that “ _Alex Danvers is to be allowed in as a walk-in visitor indefinitely_ ”, the little blurb surrounded by a heart.

“Oh could I have your--”

Alex already has her ID in front of Eve.

Eve checks the name, Alexandra Danvers. Danvers… She straightens up and quickly prints out a Visitor Badge for her. She watches as Alex walk off, heaving a dreamy sigh. Eve knows she can’t touch but she can certainly look.

Alex steps out in front of Brad and Vivian in the elevator, walking nonchalantly towards Cat’s office. Alex zeroes in on Kara who’s furiously typing on her computer. Even from across the room Alex can see the crinkle marring Kara’s forehead. Alex drops the bag in front of Kara.

“Alex!’ Kara beams, standing up and throwing her arms around Alex, the desk still caught in between them. “What are you doing here?” Kara rips open the bag, pulling out a container of potstickers and egg rolls. “I love you,” Kara emphatically declares.

“I heard you skipped lunch.” Alex turns to Winn and gives him a grateful smile. He sheepishly rubs the back of his neck. “And that you managed to already lose your new clothes.” Alex takes another bag from her purse and sets it down next to Kara.

“You are the best,” Kara says around the lump of food in her mouth. She offers Alex one potsticker with her chopsticks.

Alex rolls her eyes good naturedly and leans in, taking the whole thing in her mouth. “Thanks,” Alex mumbles. “Okay I have to go.”

Kara squeals, chewing her food fast and running around the table to properly hug Alex. “Thank you for lunch and the clothes.” Kara kisses Alex’s cheek.

“You’re welcome.” Alex spots another popped button on Kara’s shirt and tuts. “Really? You have to be more careful.” She steps closer to Kara and buttons it back up for her.

“No one knows my second job,” Kara jokes.

“Uh huh.” Alex straightens out Kara’s shirt collar. “Well your second job needs you tonight.”

“You just like ordering me around.”

Alex raises her eyebrows, unimpressed.

“Aye aye ma’am!” Kara salutes.

Alex spins on her heels with a huff. “Bye Kara.”

“Bye!” Kara waves to Alex. Kara spots Brad and Vivian staring wide-eyed at her and frowns.

They turn back around and head straight to their respective departments. They can’t WAIT to spill the tea.

CatCo’s rumor mill hasn’t had so many gears turning since that time Cat threw freshly brewed coffee into Harrison Ford’s face for not knowing the word ‘no’.

By the end of the day, three rumors grace CatCo.

  1. Kara is a part time stripper.
  2. Kara is Supergirl.
  3. Kara’s girlfriend is her pimp.



\---

Kelly scoffs at the group she’s been added to, fingers dancing across her blackberry keyboard. She was always thankful that she was Social Media Manager, nobody would ever know that she was not working.

Kelly: Guys, this is not cool

Vivian: She’s Supergirl! Legal’s all in agreement! Her gf would never

Brad: she’s a stripper, what kind of superhero wears velcropants

Vivian: do that to her theyre totally in love and hotness would never let Kara do that

Harold: but what if K and Hot A is like in an open relationship or something cuz

Vivian: ergo not a stripper and hotness not her pimp

Harold: Kara lieks it snd Hot A is like supportive?

Brad: Or maybe Red Hot is totally a stripper too! ;P

Kelly: I’m out, guys. When HR finds out, and you know they will, we’ll all be sitting around doing extra workplace harassment training and if Cat finds out

Vivian has left the chat.

Harold has left the chat.

Brad has left the chat.

Kelly: we’ll all be fired. Wth. guys?

Kelly has left the chat.

 


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for the comments and thank you for the kudos. Really glad y’all like it! After the last episode (of which I skipped all the Mono parts), I felt much better. Surprised that I’m… sorta famous in kalex circles? Lol. Me and justanexercise were like… wtf. PEOPLE KNOW US? Lol. Thank you for all the love and thank you for the comments. Really like that other people enjoy reading as much as we enjoy writing this craziness. And, uh, find me on tumblr. :D Seeya! - immo
> 
> Ditto. - JaE
> 
> Kidding. Hearing y’all talk about uncontrollable laughter makes me smile. Comments makes me happy, and a happy author = more inspired :D

“Have you heard anything lately?” Lucy asks, biting into the fat, calorie heavy meatball sub.

She’s so glad Cat decided she needed a cheeseburger on a salad today and Kara just happened to pick out Lucy’s favorite sub and drops it off with a brilliant smile on her desk. Good thing Cat has Kara busy or else she might’ve seen the weird looks Legal’s giving her. She needs the meat and carbs today, no salads for her.

“Heard what?” James picks at his Chipotle, looking wistfully at Lucy’s sandwich.

Lucy pulls the sandwich closer to her, careful to not drop any marinara sauce on her white blouse. “All mine.”

“Just one bite?”

“Ex-boyfriends don’t get those privileges.”

James sighs dramatically and shovels the semi-healthy food in his mouth. “So what haven’t I heard?”

“CatCo’s latest rumor mill?” Lucy raises her eyebrows. If James hasn’t heard anything yet...that means Kara hasn’t either. Good. She’ll have to sic HR on everyone before that happens.

“You know I don’t listen to that stuff.”

“Yea but this time…” Lucy rolls her eyes. “I should’ve realized how much gossip CatCo would have in house too.” She bites off a large chunk of the sub, her voice distorts around the half-masticated mess. “Kara is Supergirl.”

James’s fork clatters on the table. He clears his throat uncomfortably, his eyes rapidly blinking. “I...I”m sorry what?”

Lucy finishes chewing and gulps. “Kara’s Supergirl.”

James continues to stare blankly at her. Lucy takes it as the response to how ridiculous that is. “Right? I can’t believe they’d say that. As if Kara would be….anyways the other one is way worse.”

“Other...one?”

“The rumor. Get this, the other one is that she’s a stripper.”

She’s well and truly broken James Olsen. He stares off into space, his eyes glazed over. Lucy waves her hands over his face. No response. Brushing off the crumbs from her lap, Lucy slides his Chipotle over to her side. By the time he can even respond, Lucy’s finished his food and their lunch hour is over.

“Time for you to go back to work!” Lucy snaps her fingers in front of James’ face. “Come on, out out out.”

“People think she’s a stripper?” James whispers loudly. “What the hell? Why?”

“Hey,” Lucy brings her hands up. “Don’t ask me. I don’t do gossip. You can ask those idiots in Sales. They started THAT rumour. The Supergirl rumour was from my team here.”

James glances outside, the glass enclosure of Lucy’s office allowing him to look out at the busy law department. Not so busy since he can see a paralegal browsing her computer. Subject of browsing? Supergirl. The cover Catco had done when Supergirl ‘came out’ as National City’s super hero was splashed across her screen and James was alarmed as the paralegal zoomed in on Supergirl’s face.

“Well, uh, if anything, the stripper is more likely.” James blurts out.

“James!” Lucy reaches over the table and slaps James across the arm. “Do not make me report you to HR, too!”

“Well, it makes more sense than her being Supergirl, I mean, pfff,” James scoffs. “Kara Danvers? Just because she has blonde hair and like, blue eyes doesn’t mean she’s Supergirl.”

“James Olsen, that girl is as pure as snow.” Lucy stood up from her desk, ready to defend the one close girl friend she had in National City. “Out of my office before I get an aneurysm.”

“Lucy--”

“Shame on you, James Olsen.” Lucy scowls at her ex-boyfriend. “I thought you were better than that.”

All James could do was let Lucy push him out of her office while he tried to think up some excuse that would put him in the clear and also get Lucy to not think that he was just gossip-slinging scum.

“Come on, Luce!” James threw his hands up in frustration, not caring that he probably had an audience. “And you owe me Chipotle!”

“Chipotle’s only for people who don’t gossip about their friends!” Lucy’s voice carried outside of her glass office.

“Ugh!” James storms off, muttering to himself. He takes the elevator back up to his floor, stopping to ask his assistant to go grab him something from one of the food trucks parked downstairs at this time. He paces for a while, thoughts racing, then finally pulls out his phone and sends off a text.

“Hey, buddy!” Winn breezes into James’ office not a few minutes later, tablet in hand and tapping away at it happily. “Got your text, sounded urgent!”

“Why do people think Kara’s Supergirl?” James asks in a harsh whisper.

“What? Woah!” Winn leans in close to him, his eyes darting around James’s empty but entirely see-through office. “Ix-Nay on the Upersay irlgay.”

“Pig latin, really?” James wipes a hand down his face. “Lucy said some people here think she’s--”

Winn shushes him.

James’s lips curl into a frown. “Upersay irlgay.”

“Okay,” Winn sucks in a breath and his voice comes out all breathy and high pitched. “Okay nothing to be worried about. Just a rumor right? No biggie.” He looks at James’s face, pulled into an even tighter frowner than before.

“I know that face, there’s something else. Oh God does Alex know? She’s going to black bag us and throw us in a cell and we’ll never see the light of day ever again. I’m already pasty!”

“No...well...she might just kill us instead…” James licks his dry lips. “There’s another rumor…”

Winn makes a rapid ‘go on’ motion with his arms.

“That she’s a stripper.”

Winn’s brain completely freezes. A moment. He blinks. Another moment. He chuckles then full on snorts.

“I”m sorry, I thought you said stripper.”

“I did.”

“That’s funny Olsen.” Winn backhands across James’s stomach and winces at the rock hard abs. “That’s a terrible joke!”

“I’m not joking.”

Winn’s face ticks. He violently shakes his head. “How in the...how? I don’t...how?”

“I don’t know...but how are we going to tell Kara?”

“We don’t?” Winn nervously plays with his tie. “I mean she probably already knows right? Super hearing and all? We don’t have to tell her...that.”

James scowls. “The super hearing isn’t on all the time.”

“You two!” Kelly suddenly burst into James’ office, followed closely by Brad and Vivian. “What is going on with Kara?”

“Uh. What do you mean?” Winn asks nervously.

“We have betting pools.” Brad explains impatiently. “And we need to know the results.”

“We never bet on this,” Vivian protests.

“You didn’t, a lot of us did.” Brad scoffs. “And some people from Legal put down money, too. So don’t get all high and mighty on us lowly mortals.”

“Ms. Grant is going to kill us!!” Kelly turns around so she could better argue with her two co-workers. “Or worse, fire us!”

Brad raises his eyebrows before directing his attention back to Winn and James. “So, Supergirl or stripper?”

James puffs up his chest, using his boss voice. “Guys, you need to stop before Lucy gets HR on you.”

Nonplussed, Brad wiggles his eyebrows at Winn. “Come on tear-away clothes? Stripper right? I’ll share half -no thirty percent- of my winnings if you just confirm it.”

Winn is stuck. “I-I-I have no idea what you’re talking about. That is the most absurd thing I’ve ever heard. I mean really? Stripper Supergirl? That’s just ridiculous and insane and Kara would never ever. I can’t believe you. You guys are terrible. I am shocked!” He huffs and pushes his way out of there.

Nailed it!

\---

“Watch the stompy,” Alex says, looking up from her tablet to see Kara ease her feet just a fraction. “The floor just got polished.” She tucks the tablet under her arm. “What’s wrong?”

“I had to change _four_ times today!”

“Okay?”

“Four different sets of clothes!” Kara’s face burns. “Ms. Grant told me to stop...doing shenanigans in her office.”

“Oh…” Alex coughs into her fist to stop the laughter from bubbling up. “Well, that’s better than her suspecting you’re Supergirl. Why’d you have to change so many times?”

“Priya spilled coffee on me and after I changed Vivian spilled tea on me and after I changed _again_ Brad blew out the toner in the copy room! Do you know how hard it is to get toner out of your hair?” Kara huffs and runs her hand through her scalp, thankfully her fingers come out clean. “Everyone’s being weird.”

“I’m sorry,” Alex says, rubbing Kara’s biceps. “You can borrow my clothes.”

“Because wearing DEO black is helpful?”

Alex pinches Kara’s skin and Kara at least as the decency to pretend to feel it and yelps.

“Hey!” Kara rubs at her arm with a pout.

“I have civilian clothes here, jerk.”

“I know,” Kara says, sticking out her tongue. “Thank you.”

“Uh huh.”

Kara sighs dramatically again and leans heavily on Alex’s shoulder. “I think something is going on at Catco.”

“Like what?”

“Legal keeps coming up to the floor. Maybe someone’s suing Ms. Grant. She hasn’t said anything about it though and Lucy hasn’t either. Plus they keep tripping around my table.” Kara bites her lip, looking pensive. “Hey is there something affecting gravity?”

“Not that we know of, why?”

“People keep stumbling and falling around me.” Kara pensively spreads her arms and looks around her. “Am _I_ affecting gravity?”

“Yea that’s not one of your powers.”

“Darn, that would’ve been fun.” Kara nudges Alex’s hip and gives her a mock glare. “So you had time to give me lunch but didn’t eat it yourself?”

“I ate!”

“A granola bar is not lunch Alex.”

“How do you…” Alex turns and gives Vasquez an accusing glare. Vasquez doesn’t even deny it, she shrugs and turns back to her computer. “TRAITOR.”

Vasquez shrugs again, motioning to Kara. “She gets me barbecue pork buns from Hong Kong, at least weekly. What have you done for me lately, Agent Danvers?”

“I am your superior officer.”

“And I’m your sister.” Kara stands in front of Vasquez blocking Alex’s view of the analyst, and crosses her arms across her chest. Alex wilts in front of her sister, pouting at the disappointed frown on Kara’s face.

“Come on, we could go to that food truck you like.”

“Don’t you have work?”

“Nope, Ms. Grant took pity on me and told me to take the rest of the day off because apparently I’m a walking disaster.”

Alex looks a second away from agreeing but Vasquez hurries towards them, her tablet out.

“Food will have to wait Ma’ams.”

“What is it?” Alex immediately pulls the tablet towards her. She frowns, seeing the strange combinations of words. “What the hell is this?”

“That alert about Supergirl and...Kara Danvers.”

“What?” Kara swallows thickly. “What...what do you mean?”

“I see that, but what the hell is this....” Alex points to the word beside Supergirl and Kara’s name.

“It seems that this is the other word associated with the search and it’s all originating from Catco.”

Alex turns to Kara with the most confused expression. “What is your company doing searching for your name plus Supergirl and Stripper?”

\---

NEXT DAY: DAMAGE CONTROL.

“Why didn’t you guys tell me?” Kara hisses at the two men standing in front of her. They’re sequestering themselves in their little secret room where Ed Flaherty the Actuary had died.

“I thought you knew!” Winn shrinks back from Kara’s fury. “You have super hearing!”

“I am not omniscient!” Kara awkwardly digs her toe into the floor, pulling up a loose thread of carpet. “And I sort of tune out Supergirl here unless it’s called in distress...sometimes even when it is.” Kara’s cheeks redden fantastically. She had stayed late one time and accidentally, almost walked in on a manager on the third floor groaning her name.

She counts her blessings that she used her x-ray vision to check first and found out the manager’s kink and the other employee willing to go along with it. Kara had wondered whether it was possible to actually bleach her brain.

She points an accusing finger at him. “You guys still should’ve told me!”

“This wasn’t something we could just out of the blue be like, gee, Kara, guess what, everyone thinks you’re a stripper! And not just any stripper, a themed stripper. A Supergirl stripper.” Winn whines. He pauses for a second then chuckles. “Actually, that was pretty easy.”

“Tell them I’m not a Supergirl stripper!” Kara demands.

“Well, there’s a problem, see… there’s a betting pool--”

“Ms. Grant has said no more betting on office time.”

James rolls his eyes. “That’s never going to stop, Kara. There’s even a bet on whether or not Cat’s going to figure out the whole of the Sales floor is betting, and if so, when she’ll find out.”

Kara falls quiet. She’d seen a file in Cat’s desk that tells her that Cat has definitely found out, but Kara is definitely not going to say anything.

“Anyways,” James throws his hands up in the air in frustration, “What I was saying is that if we say that you’re not a stripper, then the other option in the bet is open to speculation.”

Kara barks out a harsh laugh. “Not that there’s anything wrong with being a stripper, but what’s worse for my career than being suspected of stripping on the side for a living?”

“That you’re not just a Supergirl stripper. That you are actually Supergirl.”

Kara stares at the two men blankly, then her arms start flapping around in a panic.

“Oh my god. OH. MY. GOD.”

“Do Kryptonians actually have like a monotheistic kind of religion? Because we’ve talked about Rao--”

“Not the time, Winn. Kara, you just need to calm down.”

Kara hyperventilates, which is making the room a lot cooler than usual.

“J’onn… is going to… be… so mad!”

“Yeah, let’s just all chill out a bit,” Winn says, putting his hands up placatingly.

Frost forms in front of Kara’s face.

“Not like that!” Winn yelps.

The frost falls to the ground, melting into the carpet. Kara holds a hand up to her forehead, muttering under her breath and falling heavily into the couch. It creaks ominously but manages to hold her. Thank you Flaherty for having such abusable furniture.

\---

“J’onn?” Kara sheepishly says.

J’onn stays catatonic, unblinking.

“J’onn?” Kara repeats, poking him in the bicep for good measure. He remains still. Kara swallows. Great she broke J’onn too.

J’onn shakes out of it, blinking hard. “I’m sorry, I believe I went into a trance. What were you saying?”

“I...uh…” Kara fidgets, unable to start the story again. “Stripper…” she mumbles out.

J’onn’s jaw ticks. “I was not in a trance.” He rubs his face with his hands. “What does Alex think?”

Kara rubs the back of her neck, looking away.

“You haven’t told her?”

“I…was hoping you would.”

J’onn actually laughs out loud. Then pauses, frowning at Kara.

“Wait. You’re serious.”

“Yes.”

“No.”

“PLEASE, J’ONN.”

“Excuse me, sir.” Vasquez suddenly appears at J’onn’s elbow. “I just need you to sign a couple of these requisition forms.”

J’onn takes the clipboard and starts reviewing the documents, holding the clipboard just high enough to block the devastating effects of Kara’s puppy-dog eyes. Kara pouts when she sees that J’onn is going to avoid her, so she turns her attention to Vasquez.

“Vasquez, did you hear all of that?”

The agent barks out a short laugh, and quickly cuts it off at the glare from J’onn.

“Ma’am. Yes, I was like three feet away.”

“Then can you tell Alex--”

“No way.” Vasquez shakes her head, lips in a thin line. “No way in hell. Ma’am. Sorry. But really, no way. I’m not telling Agent Danvers.”

“Not telling me what?”

They had all been so caught up in who would tell Alex about Kara’s little work disaster that they hadn’t been watching out for Alex. While Kara stands there like a deer in headlights, everybody else scatters..

“Not tell me what, Kara?” Alex’s disapproving frown hones in on Kara.

“No, don’t look at me like that!” Kara raises up her hands, as if to shield herself from Alex’s looks.

“You goof.” Alex rolls her eyes fondly. “What happened? Did you figure out why people were searching for your name and Supergirl?”

“Please don’t be mad.” Kara pleads.

“Kara, I’m not always going to be mad at you.” Alex huffs out, a little hurt that that is how Kara sees her. As just an angry person. Okay, yes, so she is angry a lot but that isn’t her fault!

“Ok, soooo… um, I don’t even know what’s the good news and what’s the bad news.”

“Okay, let me guess,” Alex takes Kara’s hands in hers massaging pulse points to get Kara to relax. “Kara Danvers, Supergirl, and stripper. Hm. Is Cat Grant having another Supergirl-themed party, but this time with strippers? Because that’s not cool.”

Kara giggles, knowing that Alex is just saying ridiculous things so she wouldn’t be nervous.

“Huh. Okay, I guess that’s not it.” Alex hums, frowning in an exaggerated manner, but the next guess was a serious guess. “Kara Danvers and Supergirl. We really need to get you some kind of a new disguise. Maybe the glasses and pulling your hair back isn’t working as well as you think it is.”

“It works for Kal!” Kara points out.

Alex raises an eyebrow, giving Kara a droll look. “Does it? Does it really?”

“Well it works for me! Apparently with the way the bets are going, more people at work think I’m a Supergirl Stripper than Supergirl!” Kara says with just a hint of pride at her totally-bulletproof disguise.

The smiles slides off Kara’s face when red fury crawls up Alex’s neck up to her cheeks. Kara swallows thickly, taking a step towards Alex to try to calm her down. Too  late. Kara swears the entire desert quakes at Alex’s scream.

“ ** _THEY WHAT?!”_**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> P.S. I hate Mon-El. Or at least this version of him on the show. I stopped myself from going on a full out rant about how much I hate what they did with Supergirl on the CW. It was so hard. But I can’t resist writing about how much I want this guy shot back into space. - immo


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for all the comments guys, it really makes writing this worthwhile :D. Here’s something for the wtfuckery of tonight’s ep. -JaE
> 
> FUCK YOU CW. Season 2 onwards, Supergirl is dead to me. Except for the parts I like… … M’gann and Lena, you ma gurls. AND FUCK RIGHT THE HELL OFF MONO YOU FUCKING PLAGUE. FUCK EVERYTHING. FUUUUUUUCK. Omg. I am dying. What have they done to Supergirl. I’ve stopped watching so yeah. Find me on Tumblr. I’ll still be writing. Maybe. Lol.  
> Doesn’t mean I won’t still be complaining and trying to flood my tumblr and tweets with anti-mono stuff. So. I just keep hoping it gets better and now I’ve learned to not hope ever again.  
> Here’s to all the fanfic artists out there, cheers to you. Okay. I’m done. - immo.

“I don’t know how to explain this....” Kara says, pacing back and forth in the kryptonite training room. There’s a thin veil of privacy there, she purposely did not turn up the kryptonite emitters just in case she needs to do something to stop Alex from stomping off into Catco and putting everyone that has anyone to do with the rumor at gunpoint.

“You said that _three_ times.” Alex rubs at her aching temples.

“I’m sorry.”

“You said that _four_ times.” Alex purposely tilts her head up, looking away from Kara’s kicked-in-the-face-puppy dog look. “Okay, one thing at a time. Stripper. How. Why do they think you…”

“The uhm…” Kara fidgets with her cape, “the tear-away clothing...someone heard and they thought…”

“Someone heard you?” Alex waves her arms around. “Didn’t the Super Friends--”

“That’s not what we’re called.”

“--commandeer a dead actuary’s office to make your Super Friends hangout spot?” Alex ignores Kara’s indignant correction of Supergirl’s unofficial headquarters. “Did you… did you and Winn talk about Supergirl stuff right in front of Cat Grant’s office again? Like I told you guys not to?”

“Alex…” Kara drags out the last sound of Alex’s name in a whine. “I didn’t mean to. I was just so excited, and-and if there’s anyone to blame, it would be you for making me such awesome clothes!”

Alex shakes her head in disbelief but couldn’t help a small smile from pulling at a corner of her mouth. How her sister maintained her secret identity to this day, Alex would never know.

“Alright. We can go in and hit everyone in the office with that new experimental mindray thing we have based off some tech we pulled from a crashed ship we found in the American midwest… It’s still giving Agent Valdez slight dizziness from time to time but at least there aren’t the debilitating migraines he was getting before--”

Kara waves her arms frantically, trying to stop Alex from going down that path. Agent Valdez had been accidentally hit by that ray and had lost a week’s worth of memories. Alex and the folks down on R&D had been playing around with it, and the DEO was ready to use any and all means necessary to keep Supergirl’s identity a secret since she was a contractor for the DEO and subject to all the protection that was afforded to an agent. Even more so since Kara was closely related to Agent Danvers and Pam in HR had shuddered at the thought of what Alex would do if Kara was ever in trouble.

“Please Alex, I can ...I can fix this, just let me.”

“Okay, can you tell me how?” Alex crosses her arms and raises an eyebrow at Kara. Kara squirms under Alex’s pointed look.

“Can you just trust me?” Kara pleads. “I know I’m just a silly alien--”

“You’re not.” Alex interrupts Kara firmly, grasping Kara’s biceps in a tight hold to stop Kara’s fidgeting. “You’re not.”

Kara forces herself to calm down under Alex’s hands, feeling the older woman’s heat through the thin layer of her suit. “I can do it, Alex. Trust me.”

Alex takes a fortifying breath of air. “Okay...okay fine.”

\---

“You can’t stop the rumor mill,” Winn explains.

“But it needs to stop!” Kara huffs, crossing her arms over her chest. “We need to fix this.”

In their secret office, James, Kara, and Winn scratch their heads, coming up with ways to stop this avalanche.

“Give them something else to gossip about,” James says with a snap of his fingers.

“What’s juicier than ‘we might be working with Supergirl,’ and Kara is a stripper?” Winn wonders.

“First things first,” Kara says, slapping her palms on her thighs. “How do we make them stop thinking I’m Supergirl? They think I’m a…” Kara lowers her voice to a whisper, “a Supergirl Stripper more...why?”

Winn and James share a look, deftly avoiding Kara’s curious gaze.

“Well…” James tugs on his earlobe nervously. “I mean...from what I heard it’s just the uh...the clothes and … and why you would have....velcro pants and the Supersuit under it.”

“How does that automatically equal stripper?” Kara makes a face and full body shivers. “Men are gross.”

Both Winn and James nod in solidarity, she is right about that.

“Oh! Children’s entertainer!” Kara snaps her fingers, bouncing at her bright idea. “I go to children’s parties dressed as Supergirl!”

“I guess that’s an alternative explanation, but who’s going to start _that_ rumor?” Winn asks with a chuckle.

Kara gives him an expectant look and tilts her head towards James too. Winn and James shuffle their feet nervously and she gives them her puppy dog look until they relent and agree to add to the rumor mill.

A few hours later, they reconvene in their super secret room for the results.

“Yea no one’s buying it,” Winn says.

“Whaaaat?” Kara crosses her arms with a giant pout. “That is way more plausible than stripper!”

“Maybe if that rumor started before,” James says. “Now everyone is convinced you’re either one.”

“I have to fix this or else Alex is going to go all mind wipe on everyone and she’ll never trust me again and what if she can’t mind wipe everyone? What if she mind wipes _too well_?! What if--”

“Kara, Kara,” James says, his voice soothing her anxiety. He holds her biceps firmly. “Breathe, okay? It won’t be that bad, and Alex knows this isn’t your fault.”

Kara’s lips turn down into another pout and she kicks at the carpet. Her phone buzzes, Kara getting a mini panic attack that Alex is asking her about the situation. Thankfully it’s just Kelly.

Kelly: Cat’s yelling for you. Three times.

“Oh no,” Kara mumbles. “I have to go, Ms. Grant’s calling for me!”

She passes just a smidge over human levels of speed to get back up to the top floor using the stairs. Immediately, Kara slows down to human walking speed, making a point to be extra slow in front of her co-workers. Nope, no super speed here, nothing to see here folks.

By the time she puts outs Cat’s fires and orders lunch, double cheeseburger on top of a salad for Cat, Kara’s well and truly done with the day. She goes to the lunchroom with her half-dozen sticky buns plus two extra sticky buns, knowing that she DEFINITELY deserves it today. Kara inhales her third sticky bun when she gets ambushed.

“Kara! Don’t answer him.” Vivian elbows Brad and defensively stands next to Kara.

“What?” Kara asks, her mouth full. She shuts her mouth and chews fast, swallowing the lump. “What?”

“Settle our bet, Kara.” Brad demands. “Tell them you’re a stripper.”

“I’m telling on you to HR, Brad.” Vivian snaps.

Brad rolls his eyes. “Yeah, the ladies down in HR love me so you can try. Kara. Come on, tell them and I’ll come visit you at work.”

Kara gives him a disgusted look as Brad waggles his eyebrows at her.

“Can you not?” Vivian’s lips curl up in disgust. Brad responds by blowing her a kiss and wandering off to another table to eat.

Vivian squeezes beside Kara, a latte from Noonan’s in her hand, offering it out to Kara. “Here, Kara. I got this for you.”

“Oh, thanks, Vivian!” Kara grins and takes the latte. Exactly what she needs to help wash down those sticky buns! She takes a couple gulps of the drink and sighs with pleasure.

Vivian is practically starry-eyed. She is well and truly awestruck. “Anything for the Hero of National City!”

Kara is glad she had already swallowed her sip of delicious creamy latte from Noonan’s, because at least she isn’t spitting her drink out across the room.

“W-What?” Kara laughs nervously. “I-I’m not Supergirl.”

“It’s okay.” Vivian leans a bit closer so she could whisper. “I can keep a secret.”

“Why would you think I’m Supergirl?” Kara laughs nervously.

“Stripper, you mean. Supergirl Stripper.” Brad’s back. Vivian rolls her eyes, then turns to Brad to glare at him until he throws up his hands.

“Whatever. No influencing the bet!” Brad shakes a finger at Vivian before going over to the coffee pot to refill his cup.

“Kara,” Vivian taps the Noonan’s cup. “I just heated this up in the microwave. It’s humanly impossible to drink it without burning yourself, but you, you took a couple of sips and didn’t even notice.”

“I-I-I just have a high tolerance for heat!” Kara titters, but the smug smile on Vivian’s face tells her that Vivian is not phased at all by her lies.

“It’s okay. I’m not going to say anything.” Vivian winks. Kelly walks into the lunchroom, catching the tail-end of that conversation.

“Vivian!” Kelly scolds. “What the hell?” Kelly touches the cup in Kara’s hand and hisses at the heat coming out of the vent. “What is wrong with you?”

“I’m sorry,” Vivian shuffles forward. “It’s just, if you _are_ Supergirl, then you’re not a stripper, you’re Supergirl...I mean maybe you are and I just…”

Brad rolls his eyes at Vivian’s posturing. “Yea whatever. Now, Supergirl or Stripper?”

“I’m not Supergirl!” Kara hisses, pushing the latte away from her.

“Yea Viv, she’s not Supergirl,” Brad interjects with a salacious grin. “Or should we get your girlfriend, no sorry your _pimp_ to verify?”

Kara’s mind completely blanks at such an accusation. Pimp? Girlfriend? Who the heck is Brad talking about? Kara narrows her eyes at the coffee maker. Is there some sort of virus going on? That’s got to be the case since everyone’s coming up with the weirdest theories.

She rubs at her aching head. Is this how a migraine feels like? She needs one of those painkillers Alex carries around. “What...are you talking about?”

“Red Hot. Red A? That hot chick with the fine ass?” Brad waggles his eyebrows suggestively. “Your...pimp.”

Kara’s brain still can’t comprehend this leap. “What?”

“Oh come on, Alex?”

“What? What does _Alex_ have to do with this? Alex doesn’t know any--”

“Your girlfriend doesn’t know you’re a stripper?” Eve asks from the doorway.

All of them in the lunchroom turns to see that they’ve gained quite the audience.

At Kara’s slack-jawed look, Eve corrects herself. “Sorry, your wife.”

Kara buries her face in her hands as everyone around her argues about her merits of being Supergirl or being a Supergirl Stripper. She internally thanks Kelly for being such a good friend and deflecting everything for her, but this is just too much. She gets up from her chair, intending to go back to work when Brad steps in front of her.

“Show us.”

“What?”

“Your costume.”

“Dude!” Kelly walks around and slaps Brad upside the head. “You are a slimy bastard, Brad. Did you make this all up just so you can sexually harass her?”

“Oh, come on! If she’s a stripper, it’s not like she’s never done this before.” And before anyone could stop him, Brad reaches around Kelly and quickly pulls at the collar of Kara’s shirt, ripping open the velcro and exposing the top of the ‘S’ insignia of Kara’s Supergirl uniform.

“What the hell is wrong with you?!” Immediately, Vivian and Kelly both shoves him away and keeps shoving until he’s backed up against the counter. There are already quite a few people milling around and the noise brings more as the two women furiously yells at Brad and Kara fumbles to cover herself.

“See!” Brad laughs triumphantly. “Stripper!”

“You asshole--”

“I…” Kara starts off, her voice quavering with rage. She has never felt… felt so violated. She could’ve moved faster, could’ve reacted faster. But she had just not been expecting it at all from a co-worker. “I am not your bet.”

The lunchroom falls quiet. It is rare that Kara Danvers, sunshine personified, gets angry. It is unheard of for her to be as angry as she sounds.

“Whether or not I am a stripper, does not concern you.” Kara bit out the words, rage shaking her frame. She could feel hands on her shoulders, trying to comfort her, but she shrugs them off, taking a step forward.

“You don’t get to make bets on me, you don’t get to guess what I do on my own time!” Kara feels like her heat vision is about to go off, so she closes her eyes and covers them with her hands.

“Even if I am a stripper, it’s none of your GOSH DARNED BUSINESS!”

“Hey, Kara, look--” Brad starts to say, hesitant and suddenly realizing he’s in trouble.

“What is going on here?” Cat’s voice echoes in the silent lunchroom. “Ms. Lane.”

“I got here near the end of this.” Lucy’s voice came over Kara’s shoulders, and Kara realizes that Lucy’s arrived. Without removing her hands from her face, she could smell James’ cologne and Winn’s candy-sweet smell from all the sugar he eats.

“Kiera, don’t blubber here. Hobbit, take her away while I deal with this.” Cat’s voice was brusque, but kind. “None of you leave this room. Lucy, call Matthew from HR up here immediately.”

\---

Kara lands heavily in Winn’s chair, biting off the tops of five red vines at once. Winn digs under his desk for the giant tub of animal crackers and cheese balls he keeps just for Kara’s stress eating. He’s going to need to go to another grocery store run after this.

She tries to muster up a smile at his food offerings, but it just sets into a grimace. Winn rubs her back in comforting circles, shielding her from all the curious onlookers who aren’t getting chastised by Cat.

“Do you want me to call Alex?” Winn asks.

Kara furiously shakes her head. She’s supposed to fix this, Alex trusted her to fix this, she promised Alex she’d take care of it. Plus Alex would probably use that mind wipe on everyone in the building if she finds out, well after she beats Brad to a bloody pulp.

“I’m fine,” Kara says, her voice quivering.

Definitely not fine.

Her mind can barely process the anger she has for Brad, let alone those wild accusations he threw at her. How dare he -- and pimp? Girlfriend? _Wife_?? Just what is going on with everyone?

“Hey,” Lucy’s soft voice lulls her out of her thoughts.

“Lucy,” Kara says, her lips forming a pitiful pout.

“Come on,” Kelly says next to her, holding out her hand. “Let’s get some coffee at Noonan’s okay?”

“But...work?”

“Don’t worry about it,” Kelly says, tugging Kara up.

“But…” Kara looks worriedly at Lucy.

“She said not to worry.” Lucy reaches up and pats Kara’s shoulder instead of hugging her like she wants to. Damn Kara for being too tall for a comfort hug. “Alison’s subbing in for me as legal counsel during the department heads’ meeting.”

“The _heads?!_ All of them??”

They shush Kara and steer her all the way to Noonan’s, ordering Kara’s favorite comfort foods. It’s all under Cat’s expense today anyways. Lucy didn’t even have to drop the threat of a possible lawsuit for Cat to give Lucy free reign of her company credit card. Cat cares more than she lets on. Lucys’ almost disappointed she isn’t present for Brad’s reaming and the rest of Sales. Her own team isn’t immune, not at all. Lucy grips her knife tighter. She should’ve done more to dissuade her team.

Lucy’s face falls when she notices Kara barely touches the sticky buns in front of her. Kelly nudges the giant plate of super supreme fries, all decked out with cheese, guacamole and rotisserie chicken. Kara’s go-to Noonan’s order since it’s filling and cheap. She shakes her head, pushing the plate away.

Kelly and Lucy share an alarmed look. Kara _never_ turns down food.

Lucy holds Kara’s forearm and squeezes gently. “Do you want me to call Alex?”

“No!” Kara shouts. She doesn’t even acknowledge the other customers looking at her in alarm, she’s giving Lucy a wide-eyed stare.

“Okay, okay,” Lucy rubs Kara’s wrist and shoots an apologetic look at everyone around her. “Well, you have the rest of the day off. You can go home and rest up.”

Kara slumps like a melting clock in her seat. She slouches down until her neck hits the top of the chair.

“Am I going to be fired?” Kara asks, feeling drained from the day.

“No, Kara.” Lucy says immediately while Kelly leans forward and touches Kara on the shoulder. “Whatever you do in your free time is definitely none of anyone’s business. Cat has made it perfectly clear that she knows that you have extra-curricular activities and she is definitely fine with it.”

Kara lifts her head up look at Lucy in alarm. “She does? She knows?”

Lucy and Kelly both nodded and Kara leans back, looking up at the ceiling. What the heck does Ms. Grant know? She was definitely not a stripper and… no. Ms. Grant couldn’t possibly know she’s Supergirl. Kara was super duper sneaky!

“Why aren’t you at the meeting with the Department Heads? Like, I get you can’t be legal counsel because you’re my friend, but--”

“But you’re more important.” Lucy says soothingly.

Kelly snorts. “Well, Matt had her ejected from the room when it looked like she was going to jump the table and strangle Brad.”

“But I’m in trouble, right?”

“Surprisingly, no. Ms. Grant really went to bat for you.” There was wonder in Kelly’s voice. “Maybe you’re right, Ms. Grant is nicer than she looks.”

“It’s not official, but I’m pretty sure Brad will be fired.” Lucy says primly. “There’s been other things Ms. Grant has wanted to address and apparently his little stunt pushed the schedule up for Ms. Grant to handle the restructuring of some departments.”

Kara’s face paled. “She’s firing everyone?!”

“Kara, you don’t have to worry about that.” Lucy patted Kara’s hand. “Now are you sure we shouldn’t call Alex?”

“No, ugh,” Kara slumps forward now, pillowing her arms on the table so she can bury her face in them. “I need to figure out what’s going on. Can one of you please tell me what did they mean about Alex being my pimp? Or like, my wife? I mean, Alex isn’t my wife! I mean, w-we’re close, but, you know, we’re like, um, sisters--”

Kelly and Lucy share pitying looks.

“Kara,” Kelly pulls Kara into her arms and hugs her. “You don’t have to hide. Not with us. We don’t care if you’re gay.”

Lucy nods, agreeing. “You don’t have to pretend anymore. No offence, but saying that you two are sisters is weird. It’s like that whole season of Sailor Moon where those two girls said they were cousins.”

“But we are!” Kara protests. “Sisters I mean, not cousins.”

“Like you have the same mother and father?” Kelly exchanges another look with Lucy.

“No, but we lived together when we were teenagers.” Kara rips the napkins to pieces in front of her, eyes downcast. “I...I was adopted. She...Alex was...she made everything better after I lost my family.”

“I’m sorry,” Kelly says, reaching out for Kara’s hands but pulls back at the last moment to drum her fingers on the table. “I thought… I guess we all thought she was your girlfriend. You two don’t really act like sisters.”

“Definitely not,” Lucy says. “I mean, if me and Lois acted like that… we just wouldn’t.”

“Like… like how?” Kara asks meekly. Was she acting different? How? Maybe, after all this time, she still didn’t know how to act properly human.

“You two look like you love each other more than actual sisters should.” Kelly tries to broach the subject carefully.

Kara’s brows knit together so close the infamous crinkle forms. “Should? I don’t get it. I love Alex, she’s my sister, we’d do anything for each other.” Kara eyes them in confusion.

Lucy rubs the back of her neck, carefully picking out her words. “It’s not a should thing...it’s just...I love Lois, well I was very annoyed by her for a while but water under the bridge, anyways, we just...it just kind of looks like you and Alex would literally die for each other.”

Kara swallows thickly. They have come very close to that, many times. Kara scratches at her forearm, her mind inadvertently flashing to all the near death experiences Alex has that comes with the territory of being a DEO agent. Her heart speeds up just thinking of the possibility of losing Alex.

“That’s what family is,” Kara insists. “That’s what family should be.”

Kelly and Lucy share another look. Kara rolls her eyes, this close to asking them to stop acting like she can’t see them.

“Maybe in another world,” Kelly says with a wry smile.

“Sometimes, it’s like you’d burn the world down for Alex,” Lucy says. “And she’d do the same for you.”

Kara frowns, staring at her hands on her lap. She chews her lip. “That’s not...that’s not normal is it?” Kara asks, her voice small.

“Kara,” Lucy sighs. “Oh my god. Did you not know?”

“I just… that’s just,” Kara fumbles with her words and Kelly and Lucy both wait patiently for her to speak. “Well, I can try to be more sisterly?”

“I feel like you don’t really know what it means to be a sister.” Lucy deadpans.

“Well, how am I supposed to treat a sister?” Kara throws up her hands in exasperation. This was hard!

Kelly blows out a breath. This was not what she expected to be talking about when she agreed to grab Kara with Lucy. “Well, what do you two do? As sisters?”

Kara shrugs. “I don’t know. We like, have sister nights. We watch TV together and cuddle on the couch.”

Lucy and Kelly both give Kara a incredulous look.

“Uh,” Kara tries to think of other things. “Sometimes, sometimes we go out to the movies instead! And she buys me popcorn! And, we do dinner before hand. And… and… oh, sometimes we go out for lunch. And vacation!”

Kara was desperately trying to get Lucy and Kelly not to look at her like she was an alien.

Kelly turns so she’s looking at Lucy. “Those sound like dates.”

“Yeah. Really nice dates.”

“And vacation, wow.”

Kara puffs up her cheeks, a bit embarrassed. “She’s my sister! And she rarely has vacation time so it’s just nice that we go together. We just, we’re just really close!”

“Alone?” Kelly snickers.

“Yeah, it’s just--we--” Kara sputters, at a loss for words.

Lucy slyly asks, “What did you get each other for Valentine’s Day?”

“Well, Alex always gets me some chocolates and it’s like a tradition,” Kara babbles, her face suddenly lighting up with the memory. “Because I just like chocolates. So, I try to get her something too and flew--had someone bring me this whiskey she likes from Japan.”

“That’s nice,” Kelly says, bobbing her head up and down. “You guys hang out that day, too?”

“Of course, we do that every year,” Kara says as if it’s obvious.

“On Valentine’s Day? Every year?” Lucy says with raised eyebrows.

“I…” Kara swallows thickly and nervously adjusts her glasses. “She...I...we never…It’s just tradition okay?”

“So you two don’t have dates on Valentine’s Day?” Kelly asks.

Kara blows out a breath of air, thankful that it doesn’t turn everything into ice. She does ruffle Lucy and Kelly’s hair, good thing they look up at the AC vent as the culprit instead. “We’re just single every time it comes by!” She frowns at their collective dubious look. “It’s a coincidence!”

“Okay,” Kelly and Lucy both say with a sharp nod.

“Guys,” Kara whines. “Seriously, she’s my _sister_.”

“Okay,” Lucy repeats, sliding her hand over Kara’s and giving it a reassuring squeeze. “You two love each other, a lot.” Lucy chews her lip, carefully crafting her next words.

“Okay, who’s your best friend?” Kelly asks.

“Alex!”

“Besides Alex.”

“Winn!” Kara chirps out. “And James. And you, Lucy. And you, Kelly. And Amir the UPS guy--”

“You can’t have that many best friends.” Lucy admonishes jokingly.

Kara takes the admonishment completely seriously, full-on pouting. “But how can anyone choose!”

“Alright, okay, let’s say Winn wants to cuddle with you on the couch.”

“Ew.” Kara crinkles her nose. “No offense to Winn, but that would be weird.”

“Well, what about if it was me?” Kelly says gently.

“Yeah. I’m… I’m. Oh. I wouldn’t.” Kara slumps, stunned by the realization, but rallies quickly. “But-but that’s because you’re my friend and Alex is my sister!”

“Kara, you treat us like we’re your siblings,” Lucy covers Kara’s hand with her own. “You absolutely DO NOT treat Alex like she’s your sister.”

“That’s because she’s my whole world.” Kara blurts out.

“Uh-huh.” Both Kelly and Lucy lean back, point made.

“What do I do?” Kara wails. This was just like back when she first got to Earth and right when Alex and her had moved past Alex’s animosity. Kara was acting ‘weird’ and it made Alex shy away from her in front of people. And Alex would get into fights because of what people said about them and Kara was never sure why what they said had made Alex so incensed, she still didn’t… everything was just so confusing!

“I don’t understand. Back where I’m from, when you went into a family it was because you were joining houses.” Kara blurts out.

“Joining houses?” Lucy asks softly, a crinkle forming between her brows. That sounds familiar, too familiar, like something Lois mentioned before.

“Marrying.” Kara corrects herself. “But here, Eliza and Jeremiah kept saying we were sisters, and then people… people said things about me and Alex and Alex didn’t like it and I didn’t know what to do but to try to be more like sisters but obviously I’m doing a horrible job at it because everyone I work with seems to think we’re married!”

“There’s nothing wrong with you two being together, Kara.” Kelly says firmly. “You’re foster siblings and that’s a little weird but that’s not wrong. It’s just the situation, like how you two got together might not be the meet-cute people would expect.”

“Yea,” Lucy agrees. “You might get a few eyebrow raises. Same thing happened to a friend of mine in Central City. Her friend had to live with her and her dad when they were teenagers and well...technically they’re foster siblings and they had this whole mess but now they’re together and no one thinks it’s weird.”

“It isn’t?” Kara asks, eyes wide. “No one...it’s not weird?”

“It’s not,” Lucy says firmly.

“I mean, I never understood why it was so taboo,” Kara says. She shakes her head. “We don’t share blood. Huma--I mean, Americans are so weird.”

“Oh yea, what country are you from?” Kelly asks, genuinely curious.

Kara shrugs, the lie coming naturally off her tongue after repeated inquiries when she’d been a teenager, a lie that Alex taught her. “Norwegia.”

Kelly tilts her head. She’s never heard of Norwegia before, but then again geography is not on her repertoire. She just nods along as if she knows where Norwegia is.

Lucy on the other hand, narrows her eyes in suspicion. Norwegia is a country that exists only for boys to claim citizenship to when they want to get laid.

Sliding the plate of sticky buns towards herself, Kara shovels mouthful after mouthful of food to eat her feelings. She’s going to need some more if she has to think about the ramifications of her conversation. Or maybe she can just continue eating and ignore everything.

Yea that’s a much better idea.

\---

“Brownie Batter _and_ Phish Food?” Alex points to the cartons of Ben  & Jerry’s ice cream in Kara’s hands. “Okay who do I have to beat up?”

“No one!” Kara nearly tosses the cartons into the ceiling. “Absolutely no one to beat up. Nuh uh. No one at all.”

Alex looks unconvinced, taking a seat next to Kara on the couch and pulling her in for a hug. “You sure?”

“Surer than sure. The surest.” Kara offers Alex the half-eaten carton with a reassuring smile.

“Aw man, you ate all the brownies!” Alex points to the craters in the ice cream.

“Not all of it...I think.”

Alex licks her spoon with her eyebrows raised. Kara can’t keep looking at Alex’s soft concerned face, so she cuddles in close and leans her head on Alex’s shoulder. Alex hums and offers her a spoonful of ice cream, complete with the last bite of brownie. Kara gratefully eats it and nearly chokes when she sees them reflected on the TV.

They do look like a couple.

It’s nice.

That’s the worst part.

“You okay?” Alex asks, rubbing Kara’s back gently.

“Yup,” Kara says, her voice high and tight. “Totally fine.”

Alex hums, giving Kara a skeptical look. “So...how’d it go?”

“How’d what go?” Kara innocently stares at their reflection. She looks away from it.

“Kara.”

“I’m working on it.”

“Kara…” Alex says in her warning voice.

Kara pouts and ducks her head. “I just need a bit more time, please Alex? Things just got kind of out of hand today and HR was called and--”

Alex backs up a bit to look at Kara. “What?!”

“It’s fine! Trust me!” Kara flashes a reassuring grin. Or what she hoped was reassuring. “Come on, Alex, it-it’s all part of my plan! Trust me! Rome wasn’t built in a day!”

Alex could never say no to Kara. She huffs. “Okay, but if it gets out of hand--”

“It won’t.”

“Just remember, we still have that experimental--”

“No no, we are not using some Men in Black technology on my coworkers.”

Alex hums innocently, carefully inspecting her nails.

“Alex...no using mind wipe technology!”

“Sure, I won’t use it on any of your co-workers.”

Kara narrows her eyes suspiciously, but lets it go. She’ll need to figure out what the heck is going on soon and put a stop to the Supergirl rumors before Alex really does use that tech. Kara ignores the heat in her stomach when Alex swings an arm around Kara’s shoulder and pulls her close. She also doesn’t try to think about it too much when she nuzzles closer, her nose rubbing against the warm skin at Alex’s neck.

It’s just another date-- no, evening in, watching Netflix and eating take out. Totally normal.

Kara chews her lip, keeping her body relaxed so Alex doesn’t suspect a thing.

The way Alex keeps glancing at her though says that’s definitely not working. Alex knows her too well, she just hopes Alex attributes her nervousness to the rumors instead of her new revelations.

\---

“Good morning, Ms. Grant.” Kara hands Cat her coffee. “I, um, have something from, um, the art department that needs your approval, and--”

“Kiera, shut the door.” Cat sits down at her desk, taking a sip of her coffee before setting it down and pinning Kara with a LOOK. Kara knows she should hurry, but she goes a bit slower than normal in doing what Cat wants, really not looking forward to this conversation. As she closes the door, she could see Winn and Kelly popping their heads up from their cubicles and watching her with pity in their eyes.

“Kiera, we spent the rest of the day, after you left, discussing the restructuring of the sales team.” Cat starts talking and Kara shifts closer, clutching the folder from the art department in her hands. “Thank you for that. I was trying to decide when was the best time to make my changes and you helped engineer a perfect opportunity, however much I did not want that to happen to you.

“We fired ten of the sales team for numerous reasons. Brad is amongst them because his work was not only subpar, but I will NOT have anyone on my staff be sexually harassed, least of all my assistant.” Cat’s eyes were sharp. “Do you want to press charges? We wanted to call the police but Matt wants me to assure you that you have complete control of the situation and we will support you one hundred percent.”

Kara felt like she was going to cry. “Oh, Ms. Grant, um. That’s not necessary, but thank you--”

“Don’t. Matt has advised me that this is the best course of action. He also has advised that it would be better if you did at least give a statement with the police, to leave a paper trail.” Cat eyes Kara up and down. “Even though I know you can’t get physically hurt, nobody should have something like that happen to them.”

Kara feels herself freeze. “Um. I--of course I can get hurt! I’m, I’m just a normal, clumsy human girl! I mean--”

“It’s okay, Kiera.” Cat rolls her eyes. “Or should I say, Supergirl.”

Kara could feel the panic rising and tries to laugh, but it comes out sounding like some horrible high-pitched choking.

“Y-You mean Supergirl _Stripper_! C-Cuz that’s what I am! A stripper!” Kara puts her hands on her hips, trying for confidence but looking very much like Supergirl in that pose.

Cat raises a skeptical eyebrow and pointedly looks at her hands on her hips. Kara immediately slips her hands off and awkwardly swings them in the air.

“Are we really playing this game again?” Cat says with an air of exhaustion.

“Game? What game?” Kara forces a hysterical chuckle out. “Really Ms. Grant, why would I say I’m a stripper instead of Supergirl? N-Not that being a stripper is bad, it’s just well, people like...Brad,” Kara grits out, “Well--”

“Kiera, you’re wearing your uniform under your shirt.” Cat points out.

Kara looks down to see that she’s entirely clothed, no popped button in sight. She looks back up to see that Cat just grins triumphantly. Darn that woman and her tricks.

“T-that’s...my...stripper...persona,” Kara says, blinking rapidly. “I’m…”

“Really now? What’s your stripper name then?”

“Uhh…” Kara scrambles for a name, remembering the more ridiculous names Winn came up with as an alternative to Supergirl. “Power...girl. That’s me....I’m...my stripper name is Powergirl.”

Cat keeps her unimpressed look locked onto Kara. Fumbling, Kara pushes her glasses up her nose and keeps up the lies.

“I have...a show...next week. My last one, because...I was...I needed to pay off my student loans and well...I don’t get paid--I mean, I needed some supplemental-- So I have a show next week!”

“A show you say?” Cat asks, putting her chin on her folded hands. “And where is this elusive strip club you work at?”

“It’s a pop up strip club,” Kara says.

“Kiera, please come up with something better than Drake’s latest faux pas.”

“It’s true! It’s a themed pop up strip club! Very exclusive, I don’t even know where the next location is until the day of.”

“Right,” Cat says with an indulgent smile.

“You’re welcome to come,” Kara says. “And-and anyone else who wants to come, because I’m a stripper not Supergirl.”

“I see.” Cat takes a sip of her latte and licks her lips as if a particularly juicy story landed right on her lap. “Well then, if you so insist, then of course we’ll support your last show then...Powergirl.”

Kara nods shakily. She turns to see Winn and James staring at her with wide eyes, their ears pressed to the crack in between the doors. They heard everything. She gulps.

“Oh and Kiera?”

“Yes Ms. Grant?”

“I assume Alexandra will be there, after all it will be your last show. I’m sure your girlfriend wouldn’t miss that for the world now would she?”

“She’s not--” Kara sucks in a breath when Cat tilts her head in a calculating manner. “Of course Ms. Grant.”

“Who else would you like to come to this little soirée?” Cat asks, eyes dancing with amusement. “I feel like we should definitely have a party, unless… you were thinking of inviting just me?”

Kara finds herself choking on air. “No, Ms. Grant. I’ll… I’ll… I’ll send out the invitations.”

“Or you don’t have to if you don’t want to. You don’t really need to, Supergirl.” Cat looks very much like a happy feline at the moment. “Oops. I mean, Powerwoman. It is Powerwoman, isn’t it?”

“Powergirl.” Kara grits out. “It’s Powergirl.”

Cat sighs, sounding disappointed. “Very well. I’ll wait for your invitation, Kiera. You may go.”

Kara stiffly returns to her desk, glancing over at Cat who only gives her an amused smirk in return. She ducks her head, her hands hovering over her keyboard. She is so screwed. Alex is going to _kill_ her. Kill her dead. Raise her from the dead and kill her again.

“What the hell was that?” Winn hisses, rolling over with his chair while James leans against her table. The trio looks through the glass office but luckily for them Cat’s working on something. Maybe googling pop up strip clubs.

“I panicked okay? I did the panicking.”

“That’s one way to put it,” Winn mumbles.

“What was I supposed to say?” Kara whines. “I didn’t mean to. I got confused, it just popped out! She tricked me.” She lowers her voice and leans in. “She kept saying I was...Supergirl. I had to do something.”

“So inviting her and...everyone in the office to your non-existent pop up strip club was the way to go?” James asks.

Kara’s grip on her pen tightens, sending a gush of ink at James’s shirt.

“Oh Rao.” She rushes to him, trying to help him brush it off only to leave blue handprints all over his chest. “I’m so sorry!” She rubs at her forehead with a deep sigh. “Rao, I’m a mess.”

“ _You’re_ a mess?” James waves at his ruined shirt. He glances up at her face. “Oh. Nevermind.”

“What?” Kara rubs at her cheeks. “What did...oh no.” She stares at the blue stains on her hand.

“Wait a sec.” Kara narrows her eyes at the two men. “You heard everything in there, right?”

“Yeah, we were like, guarding the door.” Winn scoffs.

“And eavesdropping.” James adds helpfully.

“Why aren’t the two of you surprised that she said Alex was my girlfriend?”

James rolls his eyes. “Oh, come on, Kara. That wasn’t much of a surprise.”

Winn nods in agreement. “You guys have ‘sister nights’ a lot and you actually SHARE potstickers with her. The only thing I was surprised about was to hear you two aren’t actually married.”

Kara groans aloud and buries her head in her hands, realizing belatedly that her face is probably blue now.

 


	4. Chapter 4

“Guys?” Kara pokes J’onn and Alex’s chests. “Guys?”

Alex blinks owlishly and purses her lips. She opens her mouth but it instantly clicks shut again. She does it three more times before Kara groans loudly.

“Alex?”

Turning to J’onn, Alex asks, “Permission to scream sir?”

“Permission granted,” J’onn says, covering his ears.

Alex covers her face with her hands and gives off the most frustrated scream Kara’s ever had to witness. Kara shifts nervously on her feet and waits for Alex to finish. It seems that the new scuba training Alex has done has given her an immense amount of lung capacity. Kara swears it’s been five minutes since Alex started screaming.

Finally lowering her hands, Alex sucks in a deep breath. Kara readies her pout but instead Alex starts screaming into her hands again.

“Okay, we’re not done yet,” Kara winces, her hearing had been turned back to normal. She resists the urge to cradle her ear.

“Okay...okay I’m done,” Alex says, her face completely red. “When you said you were going to ‘handle it’,” Alex puts air quotes on it, “this was _not_ what I mean by handling it!”

“I know!” Kara runs a hand through her hair and pointedly stares at the floor, her eyes welling with frustrated tears. All the annoyance Alex was feeling flees her when she sees how distraught Kara is. Well, not all, but most. But she will work on that.

“It’s okay,” Alex mumbles, pulling Kara in for a crushing hug.

“It’s not,” Kara returns the hug loosely, burying her face into Alex’s neck. This has always been a comfort for Kara, except this time it does very little to quell her flaring emotions.

Kara pulls away first, wiping her nose discreetly and smiling shakily.

Squeezing Kara’s biceps, Alex says, “We’ll figure it out, we always do.”

“What exactly were you thinking we could do with this farce?” J’onn asks softly.

Kara tugs on the sleeves of her super suit. “I was...thinking the DEO could help me?”

“How?” J’onn narrows his eyes. He doesn’t need telepathy to guess what Kara’s asking him to do.

“That...we make a pop up strip club? So I can keep Kara Danvers a secret?”

“Why are you saying everything like a question?” Alex asks.

“I’m not?”

“You kind of are?” Vasquez pops up with her handy tablet, tapping away furiously. “This would be quite a good distraction, though. You know your legal department has started to collect evidence?”

“I thought bets were off!” Kara says in alarm.

“Yeah, bets are off. But I think they’re just obsessed with being right.” Vasquez rolls her eyes. “Legal professionals. They’re all like that.”

“You just have something against lawyers because you dated one.” Alex mutters under her breath.

“WE NEVER SPEAK OF HER NAME.” Vasquez points a warning finger. “Now, concentrate. Is this like a free-for-all?”

“No, it’s invite only.” Kara mumbles. “But Matt from HR has to be there. And so does Lucy.”

“I don’t even know why they’re allowing this!” Alex shakes her head in astonishment.

“It’s Ms. Grant.” Kara replies miserably, as if that answers all the questions. And it does.

“Okay, so invite list…” Vasquez taps her tablet. “Your choice?”

Kara nods.

“Okay, I hacked into their network to access their files. Found the newest one that’s named S vs. G, so took a look and bam, they’re writing a FACTUM and actually some of the paralegals in on this have started a research group.” Vasquez showed the tablet, opening up a document so everyone can briefly read over it. It was pure lawyer-speak, but it basically was making a great case on why Kara was Supergirl.

“So we invite… Alison, Harold, Vivian, hm. Yatim from accounting… and here, look at the list.” Vasquez opens up another document and holds it out for Kara to peruse.

“Why these people?”

“They’re all in it for the truth. Not for money, the truth.” Vasquez taps on the screen. “And that is the greatest motivator. The need to be right.”

Kara raises her eyebrows at Vasquez’s vehement speech. Alex smirks at Vasquez and says to Kara, “Her ex almost figured out she was a secret agent.”

“She had some nerve!” Vasquez huffs.

Alex was trying not to all out grin. “You’re just upset she almost made you. Can you imagine? A civilian. But she was so nice.”

“Anyways,” Vasquez huffs again. “What do you think, Kara?”

“Good plan? Great plan. Definitely.”

Alex crosses her arms over her chest, her eyebrows pinched. “Are we really doing this? Kara you’re _not stripping_ for these people!”

Kara tugs at the ends of her hair. “They think I’m Supergirl, Alex!” She turns her watery eyes to Alex. “I don’t know what else to do. And Ms. Grant had me put the date in her calendar!”

“Vasquez, get me the experimental mind--”

“No!” Kara preemptively bars her hand over the doorway. “No you are not mind wiping all of Catco!”

“Kara, you can’t seriously be considering the best course of action is to _actually_ make a pop up strip club are you?” Alex asks.

“Maybe?”

“Kara!”

“Look, how good is the mind wipe thing? What if it doesn’t work? What if you erase _everything_? We’re talking about the entirety of Catco. It would be very suspect if a whole media company just suddenly lost a week of their memories. And what if it doesn’t work? We’re going to be back here arguing about this again when I could just...strip.”

“Maybe you don’t have to,” Vasquez pipes up with a small smile.

“Explain,” J’onn says.

“Supergirl can just serve drinks, in her...not Supergirl uniform.” Vasquez looks down at the report on the tablet. “I’m sorry, Powergirl uniform.”

Alex rubs at her head, massaging her temples. “We’re going to have to make a Powergirl uniform. Something that makes her not look like Supergirl. At all.”

Kara chews her lip, a hopeful glint in her eyes. “Y-You’re...we’re doing it?”

“Doesn’t look like we have much of a choice do we?” Alex says, her eyes narrowing until Kara’s smile turns back into a serious frown. “Now, we are doing this the right way, no more off the cuff remarks about this. We’re settling this situation once and for all.”

“Aye-aye captain!” Kara salutes.

“I got some friends who are exotic dancers.” Vasquez says happily. At the looks she gets, she glares right back.

“You have stripper friends?” Kara asks meekly.

“Strippers are people, too! Well, actually, my friends aren’t strippers per se, and more burlesque dancers. Not that strippers aren’t cool, too, but we don’t want Kara to actually strip so this might cut down a bit on requests. This’ll have to be a classy joint.” Vasquez muses aloud. “I can just imagine it now. Chandeliers. Raised platforms with a main stage. The girls would LOVE to perform their new number. What’s our budget?”

J’onn and Alex’s eyebrows raise with every idea coming out of Vasquez’s mouth.

“Have you...planned this before?” Alex asks.

“I was an event planner before I became an analyst for the DEO.” Vasquez grins. “My dancer friends were some of my best talents!”

“Vasquez, you’re a woman of many talents.” J’onn rumbles approvingly.

“Sir.” Vasquez salutes smartly, quite proud of herself. “I can handle the girls and they actually DO have superhero/villain costumes stashed away somewhere. I’ll figure out if we can grab an empty warehouse and convert it. I could DJ--”

“You could DJ?” J’onn looks more and more impressed.

“The only thing in this whole scheme that I can’t do is make a costume.” Vasquez confesses. “But I’m pretty sure Mr. Schott probably has some reject costumes that we can cut shorter.”

“Are there full-body costumes?” Alex crosses her arms. “With pants? Which reminds me, I still have a bone to pick with Winn about Supergirl’s skirt--”

“Alex, we talked about this.” Kara sighs in exasperation. “He wasn’t being a perv!”

“And you have way too much faith in people.” Alex rubs her forehead irritably, then throws up her hands in the air. “I have to take a walk. Cool down.”

“Alex--”

“Kara, just give me some time.” Alex walks off, mumbling to herself while Kara stares after her sister unhappily. She still hadn’t told Alex about the OTHER thing people were talking about. The whole her and Alex being together. But Kara just couldn’t get herself to bring it up. It would hurt too much if Alex acted… disgusted with Kara.

J’onn pats Kara on the shoulder sympathetically. “Give her some time. You know how she is.”

“Yeah,” Kara shrugs, trying to be nonchalant. “Well, I guess we have a pop-up strip club to plan, huh?”

J’onn throws his hands up in the air, too. “I can’t. I’m sorry. I’m… I’m going to go back to my job now.”

Kara pouts as she is left alone with Vasquez, who is humming tunelessly while poking furiously at her tablet.

With a final tap on her tablet, Vasquez nods to herself, then turns to Kara. “Can you dance?”

“Oh! I can!” Kara excitedly does a perfect rendition of Dorothy’s walk on the yellow brick road.

WIth her ever present professional demeanor, Vasquez says, “Right. Well, let’s just stick to serving drinks.”

Kara’s face falls. She can so dance.

It doesn’t take long for everything to be set up, and for Vasquez to hire her dancer friends, for an exclusive pop-up strip club. They agree, no questions asked, to do it, excited for the show. They know it would be a pop-up strip club and Vasquez assures them that there would be no lap dances or anything of that sort, unless the girls themselves are okay with it.

“Don’t worry, Kara.” Vasquez smiles at Kara. “The girls know what they’re doing. The group’s run by them. They’re all like, weird modern dance students that do this for side-money. It makes more than working a minimum wage job and they like it. So trust me, okay? They’re nice girls and doing it because they like it.”

“Alright.” Kara agrees. Her phone suddenly rings and Kara glances at the name, surprised to see that it’s Alex.

“Um, Alex?” Kara looks around the base, using her x-ray vision. Where is her sister?

“I went to grab Winn.”

“Don’t hurt him!”

Winn’s voice could be heard in the background. “Please don’t hurt me!”

“I’m not hurting him.” Alex blows out a breath of air. “I just went to his place to get some clothes. I’ll meet you back at your apartment so you can try them on.”

“But I should be there to check on sizing--”

“Yeah right.” Kara could hear Alex say before she hangs up the phone without a good-bye.

“What did Alex want?” Vasquez’s question makes Kara jump a bit. She had almost forgotten she was there!

“She just wanted me to go back home to try on some costumes she took from Winn.” Kara explains.

Vasquez nods. “Give me a sec to grab my stuff and we can take my car there.”

“Or we can take the Supergirl express,” Kara says with a bounce in her step.

Vasquez’s eyes light up for just a moment before she schools it back to her professional agent look. “I’ll meet you there Supergirl.”

“Awwww...but--”

“Traveling via Supergirl is prohibited unless under a category three emergency.”

“Oh…” Kara pouts. “So what category would this be?”

Vasquez purses her lips and shakes her head.

“Well, I’ll meet you there?” Kara had hoped for a buffer between her and Alex sooner, maybe she’ll take the scenic route back to her place.

“Yes ma’am.”

Kara takes her time, meandering through the halls of the DEO until Alex sends her a text to get her butt back there ASAP. With a pout, Kara shoots off into the air, totally not ready for her transformation into Powergirl.

She’s not prepared for the mountain of red, blue and yellow clothes strewn across her couch.

“Uhh...hi?” Kara glides to her living room, eyeing the clothes.

“Hey,” Alex says, pouring herself a glass of scotch. Her face scrunches up at the burn.

Kara grimaces. It’s barely noon and she’s already driving Alex to drink. “So uh…”

“One sec.” Alex drinks another glass, her body erupting in chills. “Okay.”

“How did you get Winn to make so many so fast?”

“Apparently you rejected quite a lot of Supergirl outfits,” Alex points out. She drags one from under the pile and puts it over her own body. It’s the lycra one with a stomach window. “Were you ever going to tell me about this one?”

“That was a prototype,” Kara says, trying to help Winn avoid a painful death. “See, it was… rejected because… of… stuff.”

“Okay.” Alex nods robotically. “This one should be good.”

Alex kicks over a pile of… what looks like metal plates.

“What is this?” Kara picks it up gingerly. The plates are all interconnected, held together with the same blue cloth used to make her costume. “Is this… Is this a full suit of armor?”

Alex nods. “It’s a neck to ankle costume. With plates. Try it on.”

“Alex, I’m invulnerable.”

“I know. This is for your Powergirl costume.” Alex takes another sip of her scotch.

“But…” Kara tilts her head to the side, confused. “Isn’t Powergirl...a Supergirl type person?”

“Kara.” Alex holds onto Kara’s bicep. “We’re trying to steer them _away_ from you being Supergirl. We have to make Powergirl look as little like Supergirl as we can.”

“Well, okay.” Kara shrugs and starts pulling at her suit. It is a one piece deal, something Winn had insisted on. It is extremely stretchy and usually Kara slips out of her arms first.

“Don’t you want to,” Alex jerks a thumb towards the direction of Kara’s bed area, partitioned for privacy.

"Why?" Kara gives Alex a weird look. "We've changed in front of each other before."

Kara is so concentrated on slipping out of her suit that she doesn’t realize Alex is sitting there, frozen on the couch, staring at the vast expanse of Kara’s flawless back. Alex quickly trains her eyes on the floor when the suit slips down Kara’s waist and sips at her scotch, wondering why her mouth suddenly feels dry.

“Alright, so this part...goes here…” Kara picks up the plated armor costume and eyes it critically.

Alex keeps her eyes on her glass of dwindling scotch, completely away from Kara’s who doesn’t even have a bra on since her Supergirl uniform already has bra inserts. She pours another glass of scotch and critically eyes the bottle. She’s going to need to buy a new one and possibly a back up one to stash in Kara’s apartment.

Alex’s eyes wander upwards unbidden, running up Kara’s smooth legs before Alex catches herself and looks back down into her glass of scotch. She puts the glass on the floor, rubbing her hands on her arms that had broken out in goosebumps, hoping the mouthful of scotch would make her feel more… normal.

“Alright done!” Kara poses with her hands on her hips.

Sputtering, Alex groans as the alcohol shoots up her nose and down into her lungs. She coughs and covers her face, laughing and wincing at the same time.

“Alex?” Kara takes a step towards her.

“Knock knock,” Vasquez says, entering Kara’s apartment with a spare key Kara handed her before she left. She immediately freezes, her jaw dropping at the disaster.

“No. No, no, no, no, no.” Vasquez closes the door behind her still shaking her head. “HELL NO.”

“Pants!” Kara says happily, stretching out a leg.

“That’s not sexy at all.” Vasquez shakes her head again. “We’re doing pop-up strip club. Not surprise renaissance fair.”

“Okay, that was my fault.” Alex grins at the extra metal plates all over Kara, the ‘S’ on her chest was engraved into a solid steel chestpiece. “I just picked the costume with the most material.”

Vasquez tuts and shakes her head, sorting through the rest of the costumes on the couch. “We’re going for sexy, not medieval, Danvers.”

Alex wipes at her face with a tissue, getting rid of the remaining alcohol. “Yea yea I know, I still don’t want my sister to get… perved on.”

“Isn’t this the whole point?” Vasquez pulls out the rejected lycra outfit and appraises it.

“The point Agent Vasquez, is to make sure no one knows the real identity of Supergirl since she dug herself into this huge bottomless pit.”

“Sorry,” Kara says, kicking at the rug with a pout.

“I know,” Alex says with a sigh. She reaches out and holds onto Kara’s hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze.

“How are we feeling about capes?” Vasquez riffles through more of the reject costumes.

Alex purses her lips, not liking that Vasquez is here to put this on a more sexy track. “I don’t want her tugged on but then again, it would hide a lot of her...assets.”

“There we go.” Vasquez hands a white costume to Kara. “I feel like this one’s the one.”

Kara took the costume and zipped away to try it on, zipping back quickly.

“PERFECT.” Vasquez claps her hands in glee. The white costume is just a bodysuit that shows way too much skin, a boob window, and a red cape Kara haphazardly clips from over her shoulder to under an arm. Her legs are bare and she looks cute and uncomfortable bare-footed.

“Alex?” Kara looks over at her sister, lip caught between her teeth. She fidgets self-consciously, uncomfortable with Alex’s slack-jawed stare. Does she look horrible?

“It’s too much!” Alex manages to blurt out. “It’s, her--why is there even a boob window?”

Vasquez grins smugly. “I think we have a winner.”

“I’m going to kill Winn!” Alex stands up abruptly, her face completely red and doing her best not to look in Kara’s direction.

“Is it bad?” Kara moves to stand in front of Alex. Alex turns around uncomfortably, looking up at the ceiling.

“It--it looks like you’re naked! The white leaves nothing to the imagination!” Alex continues complaining, still not able to look Kara in the eye.

“It’s perfect, don’t listen to her.” Vasquez digs through the pile of costumes and pulls out a pair of high-heeled blue boots. “But maybe Alex is right about killing Winn. This looks like an exotic dancer’s costumes. And I’ve gone through exotic dancer costumes before.”

“Well, we were taking ideas from comic books. They’re not the most realistic.” Kara fidgets with the hem her bodysuit.

Alex rolls her eyes good naturedly and gives Kara a teasing look. “Did you really take inspiration from unrealistic male fantasy pornography?”

“It’s not pornography!” Kara squeaks indignantly.

Vasquez scoffs, carefully schooling her features when Kara and Alex throw her a look. “Well...arguably...and you know some of those new Supergirl comics--”

“Nope.” Alex makes an X with her arms. “We are not talking about how horny nerds are drawing my little sister.”

Kara’s stomach drops a bit at the last words. She smiles weakly. “Yea, I wouldn’t...want to know about all those things either.”

“Not all of them are--” Vasquez cuts herself off and clears her throat. “Anyways, what do you want to try on now?”

“Nope, nope. No more.” Alex waves her hands in the air frantically. She had gone to pick these up from Winn so she had seen that some of these costumes get more and more scandalous. There were the really conservative ones but Alex knew Vasquez would veto those. There was no way they were going to try the one which was basically a deep-V white t-shirt with the ‘S’ on the chest and micro-shorts.

“Aw, but what about the one with the lace up corset?” Vasquez asks, pointing to the pile.

“Wait...how do you know about that?” Alex narrows her eyes.

“I...may have asked Mr. Schott what he has.” Vasquez sheepishly grins. “What? I needed to know if any of them were suitable, if not I could get some from people.”

“I want to try them,” Kara says with a firm nod.

Alex swallows thickly, her mind flashing through Kara wearing the more scandalous ones. She shifts uncomfortably, pulling at the collar of her shirt. Does National City have a sudden heat wave? She should look into that. What if there’s an alien who can make spontaneous heat spots?

“Alright,” Vasquez sneaks a glance at Alex. A bomb could go off and Alex probably wouldn’t notice, really. “Why don’t you try this one on?”

Kara is gone and back in a flash, another bodysuit on, this time looking a lot like her Supergirl costume, except the hems of her top were edged in gold, the top BARELY covers the bottoms of Kara’s breasts and bares her toned stomach. And the skirt… Alex’s eyes drifts down, her stomach doing weird flips. If Kara moved at all, everybody could figure out if she was wearing anything underneath the skirt.

“Alex?” Kara poses in front of her sister with a hesitant smile.

Vasquez hums loudly. “Maybe… maybe you should turn around and let Agent Danvers see the back.”

Kara happily did just that, turning so Alex could see.

“Is it too short, Agent Danvers?” Vasquez asks teasingly. Alex didn’t even know Vasquez had spoken, her eyes trained on Kara’s ass, helpless. Vasquez helpfully nudges Alex with her elbow when the silence lingers far too long.

Alex blinks hard and straightens her back. “That cape is too short.”

Kara turns back around, holding the cape to her chest with a frown. “Sure, if we wanted it to be aerodynamic. We were trying to figure out the right length and Winn cut off a bit too much.”

“I’m starting to think we lucked out on your current costume,” Alex mumbles, keeping her eyes from straying to all the skin Kara’s displaying. “We’ll put that on the maybe pile,” she says to Kara.

“Alright!” Vasquez smiles widely. “Now we’re getting somewhere.” She thumbs around the costumes, grinning widely. “Here try this one.”

Kara grabs the costume Vasquez tosses at her and speeds to the partition to change. It takes a total of twenty seconds for Kara to hesitantly poke her head out.

“I’m not sure if this is right…”

“Let’s see it,” Alex says, crossing her arms over her chest and building mental blocks to keep whatever weird feelings at bay.

Shuffling nervously, Kara holds her elbows and presses her arms across her stomach. “I’m not sure...how is this even holding up?”

Alex’s brain short circuits. Vasquez whistles appreciatively and appraises Kara’s costume with a professional eye.

“The cape is attached to the front of the...shirt?” Vasquez tilts her head, re-evaluating. “Halter top? Yes. Halter top. There’s no back right?”

Nodding, Kara’s fingers flex along the cutouts on her side and pulls the fabric away from her torso. “I don’t know, I feel like it’s falling off of me.” She crosses her arms protectively over her chest. “I feel naked.”

“Yea…” Alex mumbles and suddenly her brain is functioning again. “That...that looks too dangerous. What if someone pulls on your cape and…” she mimes her own boobs spilling out.

“True.” Vasquez nods. “At least the booty shorts on this one covers her butt.”

“And the cape is longer!” Kara tugs on the cape, but it pulls at the front of her costume too, sliding one side a bit too far, showing side boob.

Alex averts her gaze, her cheeks reddening. “Kara...rejected.”

“What?”

Alex shakily points to her chest.

“Oh!” Kara blushes and spins around. “Right, yes…”

“Oh, but before you change out of that, let’s see how this looks with music.” Vasquez says, a mischievous smile on her face.

Alex turns her head so fast she almost gives herself whiplash. Vasquez’s smile turns into a full out evil grin. Kara, however, doesn’t even register the exchange, nodding.

“Yeah, that makes sense.” Kara spins in her costume, the cape swishing around her.

“That makes no sense.” Alex hisses, pointing a finger at Vasquez, who was now scrolling through the playlist on her phone to find a song.

“Ah, there we go. ‘Songs to make babies to’.” Vasquez clicks on the first song. “We have to see if she can act natural.”

Vasquez looks around, until she spots a bluetooth speaker sitting on the breakfast bar. Grabbing it, she comes back and turns it on, syncing her phone to it. ‘Donna Summer’s Love to Love You Baby’ came through on the speakers, the disco classic pounding low and insistent, the background moaning making both the Danvers’ sisters blush.

“Umm…” Kara pulls at her costume nervously, unwittingly showing more side-boob. “It’s, um, you two must be thirsty. Where are my manners, I have orange juice or-or coke in the fridge.”

While Kara hustles to the kitchen, Vasquez directs her grin at Alex, mouthing the word ‘thirsty?’ to Alex, who immediately replies by flipping Vasquez the bird.

“Okay, here we go,” Kara carries over the drinks she has in the fridge on one hand, and balances three glasses in her free hand. “I have OJ, coca-cola, iced tea, and milk.”

She bends forward to put the drinks down, unwittingly flashing Alex, who is now frozen into a statue. Vasquez tries really hard not to laugh out loud. When Kara shuffles away to sit next to her, Alex picks up a pillow and throws it at Vasquez furiously, who only laughs out loud at the attack.

“This costume is a definite no!” Alex hisses. “It’s just… you can’t!”

“It is kind of uncomfortable.” Kara nods, wiggling in her seat while bobbing her head. She sips at her cola, still bobbing her head.

“What are you doing.” Alex eyes Kara warily.

“This is actually a really catchy song.” Kara wiggles in place, looking like she really wanted to get up and dance. Alex’s eyes nearly bugs out of her head as Kara rolls her body in a smooth, sensual motion.

“WOAH.” Vasquez’s eyes widen, suddenly realizing that Kara might have some moves.

Alex darts her eyes away nervously. Sure she knows Kara has good rhythm, it’s not like it’s the first time she’s seen Kara dance. But she definitely does not need to see Kara dance in _that_. Definitely not when more than the side boob shows.

“You should,” Alex’s voice breaks. She pointedly ignores Kara’s concerned frown and Vasquez’s amused smirk. She coughs, taking a sip of orange juice. “You should probably change into something more...comfortable if you’re going to dance.”

“It’s comfortable isn’t it?” Vasquez asks Kara. “Kind of like those yoga pants right?”

“I mean…” Kara touches the fabric. “When you say that, I guess you’re right. I don’t feel as self-conscious.”

“Are you brainwashing my sister?” Alex was leaning forward, hands clenched into fists on her lap.

“Just trying to get her comfortable in her role. Come on, Alex. You’ve been through this before, too.” Vasquez raises her brow.

“What?” Kara’s eyes narrow.

“Well, when I first started I had to do some undercover work.” Alex explains impatiently. “Just pretending to be a couple with another agent for a job.”

“Wait, like a Bond Girl?”” Kara asks timidly, her fingers digging into her own thighs.

“No not like a Bond Girl!” Alex huffs. “Anyways, we’re talking about you.” She waves her hands awkwardly in the air. “And how you have to convince all of your coworkers that you’ve been moonlighting as a stripper Supergirl--”

“Powergirl,” Vasquez and Kara both correct.

“--for months, so that means you have to have the moves to support that lie.” At Kara’s silence, Alex squeezes her shoulder reassuringly. “It’s not that hard, you just need some practice with people you trust. When I went undercover, we had to practice acting like a couple in front of other agents until they were convinced.”

Kara stares unseeing in front of her, her body slowly growing tense. Alex has done stuff like this before. Coupley things with another agent. Someone she trusts apparently. And had a lot of practice with. She conjures up unwanted images of Alex doing exactly what those Bond Girls had done.

“Kara?”

At Alex’s soft voice, Kara shakes out of her daydreams and forces a smile. “I think I got it. Thank you for your help. I really appreciate it.”

“You’re welcome,” Vasquez says, picking up on Kara’s discomfort and jealousy. She stands up, brushing her hands on her jeans. “If you need anything else, advice or anything…”

“I’m fine. Thank you.” Kara picks through the other costumes. She looks towards Alex, but never fully makes eye contact with her. “I’m a bit tired...with all this changing.”

“Okay, I can come back later.”

“It’s okay,” Kara says, shaking her head. “I have it under control, I’ll find something, promise.”

Noticing the uncomfortable tautness in Kara’s body, Alex concedes. “Alright.” She goes in for a hug, rubbing Kara’s tense back. Her face flushes, the cape is made with such flimsy fabric Kara might as well not be wearing it. “Right. Okay. See you later.”

After they leave, Kara slumps against her door and shuts her eyes.

She is not jealous of a nameless agent who’s gone on undercover missions with Alex. A nameless agent who’s probably touched Alex. Kissed her. Maybe even did more to maintain their cover--No.

Kara is certainly not jealous.

 

* * *

 

Reference Pics to the costumes 

1.

 

2.

 

3.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for waiting. Sorry, the long wait between updates is all my fault. Real life, blah blah blah, hate mon-el, blah blah blah. Mostly the real life but partly a burning hatred that consumed me and made me stop listening to Supergirl podcasts. Hopefully we’ll get this done soon! And thanks to my lovely co-writer for having so much patience with my tired ass. Love you all and hopefully I’ll get more time to work on my other stuff. Oh, and feed your authors. Comments and kudos are our bread and butter. Cheerio! -immo.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Our longest chapter, have 9k of words. Rating has been upped to M. - jae

 

“Come on Danvers,” Vasquez says, pointing her chin down the street. “We’re gonna have a chat.”

“Are we now?” Alex says, her eyebrows raising but she follows Vasquez straight into Noonan’s. As Alex sits at the booth, she makes a note to Yelp other coffee establishments. Noonan’s is nice but going there everyday because Kara insists the sticky buns are to die for gets a bit boring.

“Hey Alex,” Violet, the waitress greets, pulling out a pen pad to take their order. She frowns a bit but smiles at Vasquez before turning back to Alex. “Is Kara coming in later? We’re going to get a fresh batch of sticky buns in about ten minutes.”

“Oh, no. She’s busy today.”

“Ah…” Violet taps her pen against her lips.

Vasquez smirks, amused as she orders a complicated sounding frappucino and Alex gets a regular coffee. She needs to sober up a bit from all that alcohol. After all, it’s barely 3 in the afternoon.

“Something on your mind Vas?” Alex asks, sipping at the bitter coffee.

“Come here a lot with Kara huh?”

“Yes.”

Vasquez waits until Alex swallows her coffee, she doesn’t want to get sprayed, to ask, “Do you love Kara?”

“What kind of question is that?” Alex raises her eyebrows. “She’s my sister of course I do.”

“You know that’s not what I mean Danvers.” Vasquez spins her cup on the table. “I can see your heart-eyes from space.

“You’ve never been to space.”

“And you’re deflecting. You flew a not-certified-for-flight spaceship into space for her. The ‘you’re coming back with her or not at all’ time?”

Alex’s face shines with defiance for a split second but seeing Vasquez’s understanding and open expression has her dropping the facade. Crumbling inwards, Alex asks, “Who else knows?”

Vasquez’s face is kind. “Danvers, the only one who doesn’t is Kara.”

Alex slouches down and buries her face in her hands, feeling like she’d failed, somehow. Failed in she didn’t know what, but she had failed. Alex could feel panic creeping up and tries to school her face into something less looking like anxiety and devastation into something more casual and ambivalent.

“I care about her a lot and… it’s always been like that.” Alex picks up a napkin, ripping at the edges of it. “It just, it’s… it’s just Kara. And she’s always been just--”

Alex gestures with her hands, half starts, movements stutter, and she drops her hands helplessly. “She’s just Kara. I couldn’t help it. I can’t help it.”

Alex’s eyes are beseeching, asking Vasquez to understand, her stomach roiling at the thought of this secret of hers out in the open. Vasquez reaches forward and punches Alex on the upper arm awkwardly.

“Hey, it’s fine. It really is. The only thing that’s kinda weird is when you’re talking about Kara like, ‘she’s my sister! I love her!’, because let me tell you, that was like… they’re sisters? Like some of the other agents thought you guys were dating already and--” Vasquez could see the horrified look on Alex’s face. “--I should stop. Okay. Look, the point is that you two need to face your feelings. It’s awkward to watch the two of you go on ‘sister nights’ and like, watch you check her out--”

“I do not!” protests Alex.

“You do too. Like when we were trying on costumes.”

It’s only due to Alex’s training that she does not show any visible tells on her face. At Vasquez’s continued nonjudgmental look, Alex releases a tiny bit of her defenses. She shrugs helplessly.

“I ...I can’t help it sometimes. I know I shouldn’t...she’s my little sister.” Alex swallows thickly and looks down at her lap. “I shouldn’t be looking at her like that. God I should be protecting her...not...”

Vasquez rubs at the ache between her eyes. She’s got two self-sacrificing idiots on her hands and it’s going to require more than her little intervention to get them to stop being so infuriating. “You know when you’re in uniform...she checks you out too right?” Vasquez mumbles under her breath, “half of the DEO does.”

“What are you talking about?”

“That I think Supergirl doesn’t always use her powers for the greater good.”

“What?” Alex bristles. “She would never--”

“I’m saying Danvers, that she totally uses her x-ray vision on you.”

Alex blinks hard, her brain trying to catch up to Vasquez’s statement. “I haven’t broken any bones for a while...why would she use x-ray vision?”

Vasquez groans. “Seriously?”

“Hey, Alex. Bit of a refill?” Violet carefully tops up Alex’s cup at her nod. “You sure Kara’s not coming by? We just got a new batch of sticky buns out of the oven.”

Alex perks up. “Well, I can bring some for her. Could I get like… a half-dozen to go? And three here?”

“Alright, you do gotta eat some, you’re getting too skinny.” Violet complains. “Kara will have nothing to look at if you lose that booty.”

Alex’s eyes nearly bug out of her head. “What?”

“Your ‘sister’ likes to check you out.” Violet rolls her eyes. “Honestly, this establishment is gay-friendly, Alex. We even put up the rainbow flag sticker on the door just for you two. It’s cool if you guys are dating. In fact, it’ll be even better instead of the sisters excuse because let me tell you, that’s a bad excuse and also, hurtful that you think we’re not all here supportive of you two and your relationship.”

Vasquez waved her hands at Violet triumphantly. “SEE! Everyone sees it! Only you two are so obtuse--”

“--it’s annoying.” Violet nods.

Alex, with her jaw almost unhinged, looks back and forth between Vasquez and Violet. She blinks rapidly, shaking her head. “Uhh....”

Violet chuckles softly. “I’ll be back with those sticky buns.”

“Oh my god,” Alex’s eyes widen. She leans her elbows on the table, covering her face. “Oh my god…”

“Danvers?” Vasquez ducks her head, trying to catch Alex’s gaze. “Danvers you alright there?”

“Alex?” says a voice behind them.

Alex whips her head up, seeing Lucy Lane wave at her.

“H-Hey Lucy,” Alex says, burying her panic deep inside her. She’s very good at pushing down her thoughts after nearly a decade of denial. “Hey, what’re you doing here?”

“Food,” Lucy says. “I got hooked on their sticky buns cause of Kara.”

“She’s definitely their biggest fan,” Alex says, nodding sagely.

“And who’s this?” Lucy lets her eyes roll all over Vasquez.

“Vasquez,” Alex says. “This is Lucy Lane from CatCo.”

“Pleasure to meet you Lucy Lane.” Vasquez sticks her hand out for Lucy to shake. Lucy takes it, lightly scratching her nails over the palm of Vasquez’s hand.

“Got a first name there?”

“Just Vasquez.”

Lucy throws a flirty smirk at her and grins. “Well...will I be seeing you at Kara’s show, Just-Vasquez?”

“You will, just look for the DJ.”

“You’re a DJ?” Lucy’s face takes on an impressed peculiar look. “So how do you two know each other?”

“I met this one through Kara,” Vasquez lies smoothly. “I spin at a lot of her gigs.”

“The pop up strip club?” Lucy asks, eyebrows raised.

“That’s the one, great pay, very nice girls to look at,” Vasquez says, eyeing Lucy up and down. “And not just the talent.”

Lucy grins, tucking her lip between her teeth. She looks over her shoulder when her name gets called out for her to go order. Lucy gives Vasquez another appraising look. “Well, guess I’ll see you at the show Vasquez.”

Vasquez leans in her seat, watching Lucy Lane strut away.

Alex waits until Lucy’s out of earshot before rounding on Vasquez. “What the hell was that?”

“Flirting.”

“Yes, I _do_ have eyes. But what?”

Vasquez shrugs and grins. “I have a type. Smart and hot. Yow. She’s single, right?”

\---

The bass pumps through the large speakers, echoing through the large factory space and Kara hides in one of the shipping containers that Vasquez designates as quarters for the dancers. It’s a pretty fancy converted shipping container with plumbing and everything and snacks and drinks laid out for the dancers when they take a break.

Kara is currently hiding and stuffing her face with those snacks.

“Sweetheart, are you getting the jitters?” One of the dancers, a pretty red-head dressed up as Robin, asks Kara.

“I’m fine.” Kara says through a mouthful of little sausages and cheese.

“Just never done something this fancy, right?” Robin continues sympathetically. “Don’t worry, me and the other girls, too. This is the fanciest thing we’ve done. But the staff here all seem like old pros.”

‘That’s because they’re all agents.’ Kara thinks of some of the wait staff, and one or two of the dancers on the small stages.

“Honey have you done this before?” asks another dancer, a black woman dressed as--well Kara’s not sure who she’s supposed to be but there is a bat logo on her belt so she assumes it’s a variant of Batgirl. She glances away. The boob window is humongous.

Kara nods eagerly to the question, it won’t do for her cover to get blown here. She nervously wrings her hands and smiles sheepishly. “Y-Yea just not...this is kind of big?”

They nod in agreement.

“Don’t worry, this isn’t like those wall street corporate parties. You know Vas right?” Robin asks.

“Vas...oh yes! That’s how I got this...gig,” Kara says.

“Yea she said corporate party and I was like oh boy...ready to be groped and all that.” At Kara’s horrified look she quickens her explanation. “But she said this is a classy gig, no shitty old white dudes, and if there are any wandering hands they’re gonna kick them out.”

“You’re in great hands,” Batgirl says, giving Kara a thumbs up.

“I know I know…” Kara pouts. She chews on her lip. “But I uhm...I know like half of them? They’re...I work at CatCo…” Kara wrings her hands nervously.

“Only way to get over the jitters is to get out there.” A woman dressed like Wonder Woman smiles sympathetically. “Come on, we’re paid to entertain, even if some of these people are your daytime co-workers. Just be an actress. I’m telling you, I understand because I had an old co-worker from back in my Dunkin’ Donuts days see me perform one time. But people just see it as an entertainment thing. Just own it, girl. And we’ll be there to back you up!”

“Okay.” Kara blows out a breath. Vasquez had someone do her hair for her so instead of the immaculate waves she usually has as Supergirl, her hair is more straight and more Christina Aguilera’s ‘Dirrty’ kind of style.

“Hey,” Robin puts a hand on Kara’s shoulder. “You don’t have to go over to your co-workers section if you don’t wanna. We can cover for you.”

“No no, it’s fine,” Kaara says, squaring her shoulders. “I can do this. I have to do this.” She does her Supergirl pose, her hands slipping a bit on the silky material of her skirt.

“That’s the right attitude!’ Wonder Woman claps her hands together. “Now come on, we can’t let the boys have all the fun out there.”

Kara takes a deep fortifying breath. She can do this. She will pretend to be stripper Supergirl.

Tonight she is...Powergirl.

\---

Alex walks around the venue, marveling at how easy it is for the DEO to erect such a nice looking place in the middle of a derelict warehouse. She can barely hear anything out of the pounding of the bass. Alex looks over, seeing Vasquez move to the music, one hand in the air. At least someone’s having fun here. Alex glares at an agent who’s a bit too friendly with the wait staff. She’ll have to keep an eye out on him just in case.

Side-stepping a rather impressively buff half-naked Batman carrying drinks, Alex shakes her head politely at his offer of drinks. She raises an eyebrow at Agent Lin eyeing Batman’s pecs a bit too much. Agent Lin, feeling, Alex’s gaze looks his way then ducks his head bashfully. He pulls at the collar of his shirt and sits back in his seat

Taking a seat at the bar, Alex leans back and observes the very real pop up strip club. Her head tilts as she watches the stage where the performers, a very good rendition of the Chippendales show, dance to the music. She grimaces at the oiliness on the men’s chests. They might need to mop up the stage a bit before the girls go on.

“You look like you need some of this,” says the bartender, Megan in a crisp white shirt and red tie. She slides over a glass, smiling at Alex’s harried look. “Honey whiskey.”

Alex licks her lips, so tempted to ply herself with alcohol. She shakes her head and slides over a hundred dollar bill. “Keep my drinks virgin tonight.”

Megan hums, pocketing the tip and taking the glass back. “Well, I was offered a fifty to get you top shelf.” She points her chin over at Vasquez.

Alex chuckles. “I’d rather keep a clear head thanks.”

“Alright then, what would you like to drink?”

“Coke with lime.”

“Is Pepsi okay?” Megan asks with a glint in her eyes.

Alex tilts her head, seeing the teasing smirk. “No way in hell.”

“Alright alright, don’t worry it’s Coke.” Megan prepares the drink and hands it over.

Sipping her drink, Alex watches a Superman impersonator, Superdude, cart over a variety of alcoholic drinks to the CatCo VIP area. She shivers at the man’s resemblance to Superman, though his resemblance is more Clark than Kal. Even Lucy does a double take as she takes the bottle of tequila from him. If Alex didn’t know for a fact that this is not Clark Kent, she might’ve been fooled too. The music lowers to an acceptable volume, the dancers bowing and going backstage while the audience whoops and hollers. Alex sits up straight as Vasquez introduces the women's burlesque show. She makes the mistake of sipping at her coke and looking over at the entrance where the servers are coming in with their drinks.

It’s Kara. Kara in her Powergirl outfit.

The soda shoots up into Alex’s nose. Alex coughs, whining against the crook of her elbow at the carbonation stinging her nostrils.

Kara doesn’t seem to have noticed Alex sitting at the bar and goes over to one of the agents who accepts a drink politely and keeps his eyes firmly on Kara’s face and not anywhere where it would piss Alex off. Alex had spent a good part of the briefing before this operation not-so-subtly warning all the agents what she would do to them if she caught them leering at the entertainers (Kara), touching any of the entertainers (Kara), or being generally assholes to them (Kara).

“This is quite a party though.” Megan the bartender comes back. “All of the superheroes really look like the actual superheroes.”

Megan paused to whistle loudly as the lights dim to signal the start of the show and Alex’s jaw almost drops at the sight of the line of women walking on stage, all of them are, well, beautiful. And they all very much either looked very much like their superhero identity or a sexy version of them. And they could DANCE. Oh dear god, Alex could feel her face flushing as Ciara’s ‘Promise’ starts playing.

“Alex.” Kara is suddenly in front of her, not looking very happy.

“Kara!” Alex almost falls off her stool.

“Are you ogling the dancers?” Kara asks, putting her tray on the counter and telling Megan quickly what drinks she needs.

“What? Me? Psh. I’m not.” Alex tries to lean back casually and almost falls off her stool again. Kara growls a bit, gets her drinks and storms off, her anger making her hips sway attractively. Not that Alex notices.

“Girlfriend?” Megan says sympathetically.

Too distracted to even register what Megan says, Alex nods her head dumbly, eyes tracking Kara heading to the VIP area. Upon seeing Kara arriving at VIP, the Catco employees situated there let out a hearty cheer.

\---

“Hey guys!” Kara cheerfully greets them, passing out the drinks. “How’s everything?” She glances towards Cat, her heart rate going as fast as when she’s zipping around buildings.

Cat hums, sipping her drink. “A pop up strip club deep in the heart of abandoned warehouses? A bit cliche.” Cat looks at the stage appreciatively. “The talent more than makes up for that.”

Kara beams. Good. Everything is going according to plan. Her smile falters when Cat levels a cheshire grin and eyes her outfit with a speculative look.

“Well Powergirl, you’ve certainly...taken some liberties on the Supergirl costume.” Cat raises her eyebrows. “Not even Superdude over there has.”

Kara frowns, looking over her shoulder and nearly upends the platter of drinks over Lucy’s head. She mumbles too softly for any human ears to hear, “Clark?”

When Superdude fails to acknowledge her, Kara breathes out in relief. It’s just someone who has an uncanny resemblance to her cousin. Kara shivers. She's not sure how Superdude manages to make the already skin tight costume tighter. She keeps her gaze above his belt, if his outlined pecs and abs are anything to go by, the bottom half of his costume is certainly even more revealing.

“Here,” Lucy takes the drinks out of Kara’s hands and puts them on the table.

“Oh, thanks Lucy!”

“No problem.” Lucy grins, wiggling her eyebrows. “Nice outfit Powergirl.”

Kara flushes, tugging at her short skirt self-consciously. “T-Thanks.”

Matt from HR clears his throat, giving Lucy a pointed look.

“Well well, looks like _someone_ is enjoying the show too,” Cat says, pointing towards Alex who’s eyes are glued to the stage again.

Kara keeps in the scoff and instead plasters on a much-too-bright smile. “She’s just being supportive. Is there anything else I can get you?”

“Food maybe,” James says, being very careful to only look Kara in the eye, just in case.

“Oh! Sure, what would you all like?”

Alison, Harold and Vivian all list off some fried foods and more drinks. Kara carefully memorizes them and turns to Cat.

“Would you like something to eat Ms. Grant?”

Cat hums, perusing the menu. “What type of food would I like at a pop-up strip club?” She hums again and snaps the menu shut. “I’ll stick to drinks Kiera.”

“O-Okay…” Kara ducks her head, scampering away to the makeshift kitchen area. She throws a glare over her shoulder at Alex who’s at least no longer staring mindlessly at the stage and is sipping her drink. Kara looks away, just as Alex seems to know exactly where Kara is and her eyes drift to the kitchen. She didn’t have to wait long as Kara comes back out again, carrying a tray of food. Alex sniggers when she spots Kara looking wistfully at the plates of chicken tenders, fries and chips on the platter she’s carrying. All the food and she can’t eat any of it.

“Hello, tall, dark, and mysterious.” A voice purrs into her ear. Alex pulls back, a sharp retort on the tip of her tongue, which dies immediately at the sight of the person before her. Even masked, with the top half of her face obscured, the Catwoman before her was… distracting.

“Catwoman!” Alex squeaks. Catwoman’s answering laugh is rich and throaty, filled with mirth.

“Mmmm, you’re just my type. Come on, drink with me.” Catwoman presses up against Alex again, situating herself snugly between Alex’s legs.

“Um, I can’t, I-I-I--” Alex wants to curse her stuttering mouth. “There’s a no touching policy--”

“--unless the dancers let you.” The corner of Catwoman’s lip pulls up into a smirk. Almost casually, she reaches forward, grabs Alex’s hand, and places it firmly on her leather-clad ass. Alex yanks her hand back, as if burned.

“Relax, darling.” Catwoman drags the back of a nail against Alex’s cheek, clucking her tongue. “I didn’t take you for a shy one.”

The challenge in Catwoman’s tone of voice makes Alex narrow her eyes. Alex never backs down from a challenge!

“Well,” Alex drawls, arm winding around Catwoman’s waist and suddenly, forcefully, pulls Catwoman flush against her front. “I wanted to follow house rules. But you’re right, I don’t have to if you say I don’t, right?”

The woman in Alex’s arms chuckles, draping both her arms on Alex’s shoulders, fingers lacing behind Alex’s neck. Those claws on those fingertips scrapes at the base of Alex’s skull, pleasant in the stinging sensation they leave behind.

“Come. Sit with me.” Catwoman is playful, hands dragging down Alex’s arms to loosen Alex’s grip on her and take Alex’s hands. Alex obeys the Catwoman-dancer’s tugging and gets off her bar stool so Catwoman could lead her to one of the unoccupied single couches. Catwoman pushes Alex back until Alex slowly lowers herself on the chair, eyes still trained on Catwoman’s face.

“Mmmm… good girl.” Catwoman leans forward lazily, oozing raw sexuality, propping herself up by holding on to the armrests on either side of Alex. “When I heard rumours about this place, I didn’t think I would have so much fun.”

“Oh?” Alex doesn’t let the surprise on her face show. She had thought this woman was one of the vetted dancers, in a different themed costume. Apparently they have an event crasher. While Alex’s thoughts race, Catwoman takes Alex’s hand and gently places it on her ass again. Almost instinctively, Alex pulls Catwoman forward again so Catwoman has to put one knee up on the couch, on the outside of one of Alex’s thighs.

The amused look on Catwoman’s face tells Alex she hasn’t crossed any lines and Catwoman seems… pleased with the initiative Alex is taking. She suddenly pushes Alex roughly, Alex’s back hitting the sofa with a little more force than necessary as Catwoman brings her other knee up so she’s straddling Alex’s lap, a grin on her face.

“What’s your name?” Alex asks, falling into a personality for this role. She needs to figure out who this Catwoman person is.

“Catwoman.” Catwoman replies coquettishly, taking Alex’s other hand and placing it on her hip. Alex’s eyes darts to the stage as another song started playing, a slow song with heavy bass. Her eyes wanders again, searching for Kara--

“Kitten,” Catwoman runs her fingers through Alex’s hair, soothingly, before fisting a handful and pulling Alex’s head back sharply so she’s looking straight up at Catwoman. “Don’t wander.”

Alex sucks in a breath through her clenched teeth as Catwoman suddenly grinds down onto her, in time to the slow, thumping bass.

“Is this what you want, Kitten?” Catwoman leans forward, pulling Alex’s head back so Alex is forced to look up at the ceiling, Catwoman’s lips hot against her ear as the Catwoman’s body undulates above Alex, hot and insistent. Alex’s hands flex involuntarily, kneading the firm flesh of Catwoman’s ass, her stomach doing weird things when Catwoman lets out a breathy, wanton moan, teeth grazing her ear.

“Hey!”

Alex jolts, trying to stand up but Catwoman sits firmly on her thighs and holds Alex down by the shoulders.

“Hi there Supergirl,” Catwoman says seductively, punctuating her hello by grinding down on Alex at just the right angle for Alex to buck up involuntarily. Catwoman lets out a loud, obviously very staged moan of pleasure, but it still causes Alex’s face reddens to the shade of a tomato.

“It’s Powergirl.” Kara narrows her eyes, crossing her arms over her chest and levelling a glare so hard at them that Alex is sure she’s going to be using heat vision soon. “No touching,” Kara grits out, pointedly looking at Alex’s hand on Catwoman’s ass.

Alex flinches, yanking her hands off.

“Oh it’s okay sweetheart,” Catwoman says, sliding against Alex’s body. “She can touch all she wants.” Catwoman traces her claws down Alex’s forearms.

“I-I...uhm…” Alex gulps, looking helplessly at Kara and clenching her fists so she doesn’t touch Catwoman.

“Alex!” Kara hisses out lowly. Alex is trying very much to very gently remove herself from the situation but suddenly Catwoman’s reaches for the neck of her jumpsuit and slowly starts lowering her zipper, freezing Alex in her seat again. Catwoman takes Alex’s hands, helpfully dragging them up her legs, up to her ass, then to her waist where Catwoman holds them.

“Don’t let me fall, love.” Catwoman purrs as she bends backwards, the undone zipper sliding further down as Catwoman dances on top of Alex, a look of ecstasy on her face as she loses herself in the music.

Alex can’t quite help herself, she stares at the cleavage in front of her face and bites down on her lip. It’s an impressive sight, Catwoman using all those thigh and ab muscles to balance on top of her. Alex doesn’t even need to hold onto her, her hands are merely there for reassurance. Catwoman leans backwards, reaching over until her hands touch the floor and she slowly rolls her body back up, making sure to grab the couch behind Alex and shoves her chest into Alex’s face.

Alex is too busy trying to not combust on the spot but Catwoman definitely notices when Kara scoffs, throws her an intense glare that makes Catwoman sure she’d disintegrate on the spot if Powergirl really were Supergirl.

Kara stomps her way over to Vasquez, throwing another pointed look at the pair while she asks in a slightly demanding tone to pick the next song.

Back on the couch, Alex chokes on air and keeps completely still and feels Catwoman chuckle as she slides her hand into Alex’s hair, then down and across Alex’s collared shirt, playing with the back of her neck. Her exploration of Alex’s physique leads Catwoman’s hands down Alex’s back, smooshing Alex’s face even further into Catwoman’s impressive cleavage. Alex’s groan is muffled as she clenches her fist, trying so hard not to touch anything. Catwoman goes just a bit too low, wanting to touch Alex’s ass and instead finds the hidden gun at her waistband. Catwoman stiffens.

“Well, you’re like catnip to a girl like me.” Catwoman leans back, all smiles. She bops Alex’s nose. “But it seems like you’re unfortunately too much like my brooding detective in Gotham.”

Catwoman goes to leap off her, but Alex grips Catwoman’s forearm, digging her fingers at the pressure points making Catwoman wince.

“Who are you?” Alex says darkly, pulling Catwoman so close they can feel each other’s breath.

“I told you,” Catwoman says, a smirk pulling at her lips. “I”m Catwoman.”

Alex frowns, her eyebrows pinching together. She stares into Catwoman’s eyes, her free hand roving over the sharp claws on Catwoman’s fingers. They’re made of metal, not that fake plastic crap all the entertainers have. Alex narrows her eyes. “Selina Kyle.”

Catwoman chuckles. “Great detective skills...and you are?”

“Going to arrest you.”

“For what?” Catwoman purrs, shifting her weight until she’s pressed up against Alex again. “We were having fun weren’t we?”

“You’re trespassing. And you’re a criminal. I’m sure there are warrants out for your arrest.”

Things go to a standstill, with Alex not relenting in her hold and Catwoman trying to find a way out of this mess without resorting to violence. She really didn’t want to mar such a pretty face. Rescue comes in the form of Kara, who is woefully ignorant of what’s transpiring. All she sees is Alex holding onto Catwoman and they’re close. Too close.

Kara swings her hips, detaching her cape and throws it over the back of the couch.

Alex and Catwoman turn to look at her. Alex’s jaw drops at the seductive look Kara shoots her and Catwoman purrs, eyeing Kara up and down, particularly fascinated by her abs and muscular arms.

“Excuse me,” Kara says, pushing Catwoman with a tad more force than necessary.

“Wait,” Alex tries to grab onto Catwoman but Kara holds onto her hands and tangles their fingers together.

Catwoman blows her a kiss and disappears into the shadows.

“Kara!” Alex moves to stand up and chase after Catwoman but Kara, tired of Alex staring at other women presses Alex back into the couch. Her protests die at the back of her throat once Kara swings her legs over Alex’s lap and sits down, the skirt much too short and showing just a bit too much.

“Kara--” Alex’s jaw clicks shut, as Kara lowers herself slowly, into Alex’s lap, keeping eye contact with Alex. Oh god. Kara is pissed about something. Alex could tell from the look in her eyes, but couldn’t think of a reason why when Kara grinds down on her in time to the slow, heavy bass pumping from the speakers. Alex’s hands shoot out, grabbing the armrests in a white-knuckled grip. When Kara presses closer and writhes side to side, just like the singer was singing about, Alex’s mind goes completely blank, all attention focused on the way Kara’s body moves on top of hers.

“Holy--” Vasquez stares in slack-jawed AWE as she watches Kara MOVE like she wouldn’t believe. She’s glad she’s taking her break from DJing after putting Kara’s requested song on a few loops. With Kara putting on a show like that, if she’d been up at the booth, she would’ve definitely messed up her set.

“Am I hallucinating?” Lucy is at the bar to, honestly, hit on Vasquez, but is now just watching, her mouth hanging open.

“You’re not. I thought that Catwoman dancer was good but oh my god. I did NOT know Kara had those moves!”

“Well,” Lucy gives a wry smile. “I guess you do save the best moves for the woman you love.”

“Everyone sees it!” Vasquez gestures wildly. “Everyone except them it seems!”

“Wait.” Megan sets down their drinks. “You mean they’re not a couple?”

Vasquez and Lucy shake their heads and sigh with fond exasperation.

“Huh, but that one over there, the one getting the lap dance said that was her girlfriend.”

“What?!” Vasquez and Lucy very nearly shout.

“Yea,” Megan answers with a shrug.

“Well, we have to get confirmation later.” Vasquez says, determined. Lucy nods , but laughs a bit as she realizes that a couple of her co-workers are also watching Kara and Alex in slack-jawed awe. There are private areas for private dances, but Kara is showing a whole new side of herself.

Alex seems to notice this too and even though it feels like she was touching fire, she puts a firm hand on Kara’s waist, trying not to clench her teeth too hard. “Kara, Kara, stop.”

“No.” Kara replies petulantly, turning so she doesn’t have to face Alex anymore and pushes down against Alex, slotting against Alex like they were made for each other. The sudden move has Alex instinctively circling an arm around Kara’s waist, afraid that she would fall.

That isn’t the best idea for Alex, as Kara seems to think that is permission to continue writhing on top of Alex in a way that sets a fire, low in Alex’s stomach.

“Kara.” The words came out in a frustrated hiss. Kara turned her head, the side of face nudging at Alex’s nose, plaintively encouraging Alex to just go with this, to relax and to take.

“Alex,” Kara takes Alex’s hand at her waist, lacing their fingers together and brings it up to the bare skin of her stomach, sucking in a breath at the feel of Alex’s fingers on her, the palm of her hand suddenly flat against her belly, a solid heat that was making her eyes warm up--

Kara quickly shuts her eyes, movements stilling, suddenly feeling super embarrassed. For some reason, she remembers this awkward conversation she had once with Kal about his teenage years and how he had suddenly started noticing how attractive this girl in his class was, and his heat vision kicked in.

“Kara?” Alex’s lips are near Kara’s ear and she shivers at the sensation of Alex, being so close to her. And she bites her lip to stifle a groan when Alex’s hands clenches tightly, her nails biting into Kara’s skin in a very pleasant way, making Kara arch in pursuit of that pleasure. The sound of glass breaking sends Kara barrelling back to the present as Kara’s eyes shoot open, meeting the eyes of Lucy and Vasquez, who are both staring at Kara and Alex. Vasquez, or it could be Lucy, had dropped a glass and it shattered on the floor, unnoticed by either.

“I have to go.” Kara gets up, thankful that her song had just finished.

“Kara wait--”

Kara doesn’t wait. She gets up and walks out as calmly as she was able to, ducking around servers and dancers and guests, finally making it to the backdoor where some of the dancers had been taking smoke breaks. She pushes the door open and stumbles out into the open air, taking huge, gasping breaths. It was too hot in there. It was too confusing and it was too much and Alex was never going to like her like that and now it’ll be weird and she’ll avoid her like when Kara had first come to Earth and she had just ruined EVERYTHING--

The sound of the door banging open behind Kara tells her someone had followed her through and Kara closes her eyes in weary resignation when she hears Alex call her name.

“Why did you run?” Alex asks. “I was calling you.”

“I’m sorry.” Kara whispers.

“It’s fine. I just… wanted to talk to you. What’s wrong?” Alex takes Kara’s hand, pulls her until Kara relents and turns to look at Alex, only realizing she was crying when Alex reaches up to wipe her tears away.

“What’s wrong, Kara?” Alex asks again, a note of desperation in her voice. “I’m sorry, whatever it is--”

“You don’t have anything to be sorry for.” Kara stops Alex, can’t stand that Alex is being so nice when Kara had basically forced Alex to accept a lapdance. Kara now just feels completely mortified and she starts crying harder.

“I’m sorry, Alex.” Kara sobs. “I’m sorry. I d-didn’t mean to. B-but t-then the Catwoman dancer was there and I was so… I was so… angry!”

“You were angry?” Alex repeats dumbly.

“Y-You were…” Kara wipes at her face. “You… I don’t like it when you’re that c-close with someone!”

“Kara--”

“And she was touching you and you w-were holding her and I’m--” Kara doesn’t know when it happened but she has the front of Alex’s shirt fisted in her hands, Alex pressed up against the wall. “I don’t like that. I don’t, I d-don’t want anyone else touching you like that!”

Alex just continues staring at Kara dumbly. And Kara thinks, to heck with it all, she had already dug herself into this hole and at least Alex would know now, would know and Kara screws her courage to the sticking place and blurts out everything she was trying to hold back.

“I don’t want a-anyone touching you like t-that,” Kara said she was going to do it, but her voice quivers and she sobs even harder. It feels like the hardest thing she had ever done in her life. “I don’t l-like people… people… people looking at you like that! I h-hate feeling like this and I k-know you d-don’t like me like that but… but I like you s-so, so, SO much, Alex--”

“Who told you I didn’t like you like that?” Alex interrupts, her voice fierce. Kara gets struck speechless, even more so when Alex pulls her forward and kisses her, kisses her just like how she does everything else. Wholeheartedly, without reservation. All aggression, the softness of her lips, the sheer possessiveness of Alex’s fingers raking through her hair and holding her tightly there as she kisses her so thoroughly Kara could feel her knees buckle.

Alex seems to sense Kara’s inability to stay upright anymore and turns them so now Kara was pressed up against the wall with Alex pushing against her growling, teeth nipping at Kara’s bottom lip until Kara responds enthusiastically, breath still hitching from crying.

In the dark, in a shady alley with one dirty lightbulb illuminating the area, Kara kisses Alex back carefully, pulling back to slow Alex down, not stopping in their exploration of each other but telling Alex in no uncertain terms that they had time. That this doesn’t need to be rushed. That they could kiss like this… slow… sweet… like they would have all the time in the world.

“Alex,” Kara sighs, drawing out Alex’s name, a truly content sound that raises in pitch when Alex replies by nipping lightly on her neck.

“Kara.” Alex’s heart races as she looked up at Kara in wonder. She never thought she would ever get to do this. Didn’t think they would get to this place where everything just feels SO right.

“Alex. I,” Kara hesitates, unsure, but at the smile on Alex’s face, she continues. “I like you so, SO much. More than anything. More than anyone.”

Alex nods, resting her forehead against Kara’s, not needing to say anything, but Kara could feel it like it was a palpable thing. And it comes off in waves off Alex, as strong as it ever was, as strong as it always was. Alex had always, always loved her. And she had said it so many times before in so many different ways, but Kara feels it, truly, in this moment.

“Kara--”

There is a banging at the backdoor and the two jumps at the sound, but stays in a loose embrace.

Megan pops her head out and smiles knowingly at them. “Hey, lovebirds, glad you’re decent!”

“What’s up, Megan?” Kara tries so hard not to blush, but the embarrassment fades when Alex nuzzles at her jaw and hides her face in the crook of Kara’s neck.

“You two are just too cute.” Megan coos. “But I came out because the show’s just about to go on and we need you on stage.”

“On stage?” Alex looks up, then frowns at Kara.

“I have to dance a little bit and and the girls have a number! It’s the big one for the night.” Kara takes Alex’s hands in her and jumps about excitedly. “Come on, Alex, you have to come in! Maybe you can be one of the participants!”

“Wait. What is going on--”

Alex gets yanked in with Kara as they go back inside, helplessly following behind Kara but not the least bit annoyed. She feels like she was on cloud nine. She feels… well. Suddenly she’s on stage. Sitting in a chair with Cat sitting on one side, and Lucy on another, an arm’s length away each.

“What’s happening?” Alex asks in alarm as their audience hoots and cheers.

“Apparently this is the big act for the night.” Cat says dryly, her eyes not leaving the Wonder Woman dancer in front of her.

“We were volunteered.” Lucy, meanwhile, is busy giving Vasquez the stink-eye. Vasquez winks and blows her a kiss from the DJ station. The dancers are all posed somewhere on the stage around them.

“But… okay. So what are we doing up here?” Alex’s looks from Cat to Lucy desperately. Kara’s suddenly in front of her, her shapely back facing Alex. Alex can no longer look anywhere else.

“Oh, you sweet girl.” Cat hums as Beyoncé’s ‘Partition’ starts. “We’re the entertainment.”

\---

“Did you see her?” Agent Runningbull whispers. A bunch of the agents are standing around the water cooler at the DEO. “I mean, it was just amazing!”

Cortez nudges Runningbull with an elbow. “Don’t let Agent Danvers catch you saying that.”

Agent Valdez huffs next to Runningbull. “So not fair. Why couldn’t I have been cleared for duty last night? Damn alien memory wiper.”

Another agent groans nearby. “At least you didn’t have to clear alien fauna! My hands are still itching from weeding them out!”

“Hey,” Runningbull raises her hands up in a gesture of surrender. “I can appreciate good form and amazing dancing. Those girls were HOT. I was talking to one and she said they were all trained ballerinas that did modern dance on the side to rebel against the establishment.”

“That sounds like a movie.”

“Right?”

“Anyways,” Runningbull continues, gesturing with her hands. “I didn’t know Kara could move like that. I mean, oh my god, if I wasn’t in a committed relationship and if Agent Danvers wouldn’t kill me I would--”

“You would what, Agent Runningbull?” J’onn rumbles right behind her. Everyone scatters like rats from a sinking ship.

“Okay,” Runningbull winces, turning to face the stormy face of J’onn. “I *swear* to you I wasn’t going anywhere wrong with that. I wanted to say that I would’ve asked her out.”

J’onn narrows his eyes at her, watching her sweat for a couple of seconds before he shakes his head and sighs.

“No gossiping in the DEO.” J’onn shakes a finger at Agent Runningbull. “Now go on. And EVERYONE THAT WAS AT OPERATION DANCER,” J’onn raises his voice so people in the vicinity could still hear him. “I want you all to STOP THINKING ABOUT IT.”

\---

“Come on, just one little detail?” Eve asks, imploring Vivian and Kelly with her puppy dog eyes. When they give her nothing, she turns to Harold and asks, “What was her costume like? Was it like Supergirl’s?”

Harold bites his tongue, his constitution wearing thin at her pout. “Uhh...it….was not.”

“Dude!” Vivian slaps his arm. “HR’s gonna send you a warning letter!”

“Oh come on, it’s not like I was giving her a play by play.” Harold scoffs. “But it was a ...good show. Too bad it was her last.”

“Yea…” Vivian sighs, her eyes going a bit glassy as she reminisces. “She’s probably just giving private shows to Red Hot now.”

Kelly rolls her eyes. “No more speculating alright? And absolutely no more bets about Kara. In fact, no more betting pools period.”

They all look at least slightly chagrined, and with Cat’s latest warpath and employee restructuring, everyone is at their best behavior. At least for a couple of months until it dies down.

“Hey,” Winn says, scooting around them to get to the sink. He rinses out his travel mug and pauses when he spots the still percolating coffee maker. He blinks slowly when he notices all of them staring at him. “Uhh...hi? What’s going on?”

“Do you know if there are any other,” Harold leans in close and whispers,”pop-up strip clubs?”

“What?” Winn’s eyes bug out. “Why would I...what?!”

“You’re Kara’s best friend,” Harold points out. “Y’know, it was a great show last night, I wouldn’t mind...supporting some of Kara’s old co-workers y’know?”

Kelly and Vivian both roll their eyes at him, but at least he was respectful last night. Though that might have had to do with Cat Grant sitting with them.

“I have no idea,” Winn stutters. “I wasn’t even there last night. I have no idea what you’re talking about. Pop-up strip club? What’s that?”

“Dude we know,” Harold says with an eye roll. “Kara’s a stripper.”

“Ex-stripper,” Vivian adds.

“Whatever, ex-stripper.”

“I don’t know,” Winn says, glad to see that his coffee is finally done. He quickly pours it in his mug. “I think that was their last show or something. Too much work and all that or not being able to find a permanent spot. Anyways, I have to get back to work, like you all should be doing too.”

He dodges them and quickly makes his way over to their super-secret office.

“Mission accomplished,” he says, shutting the door behind him.

“You mean…” Kara grins, a hopeful glint in her eyes.

“They think you’re a stripper!”

“Yes!” Kara jumps up, wrapping James and Winn in a tight hug. “Rao I never thought I’d wanted to be a stripper!”

James coughs and Winn rubs the back of his head while Kara blushes at the implication of what she’s said.

“Right...well…” James pulls out his phone and scrolls through the new articles from the Tribune. “And with Supergirl on the prowl last night, I think we’ve got the alibi you needed.” James frowns at the blurry picture. “If you can make out her face that is.”

“Hey!” Winn says, offended. “I’m not a professional photographer! J’onn wouldn’t stop for me to take a picture and all I had was my cellphone that could barely zoom!”

“I told you you could borrow my camera.”

“It’s a DSLR camera, I don’t know how to use it.”

Kara puts her hands on their shoulders and squeezes lightly. “Hey hey, doesn’t matter. There were some good shots in there and now CatCo doesn’t think I’m Supergirl, so yay super friends!”

Winn and James both fist bump her with proud smiles.

\---

Flying into the open window of Alex’s apartment, Kara sets down gently in the living room. It had been a week after the party and everybody now thought she was a retired burlesque dancer/stripper. It had gone pretty well and Kara was pretty sure she had ‘street cred’ now.

“Alex?” Kara calls out, eagerly super speeding out of her Supergirl uniform into her comfy shorts and Alex’s old UNC t-shirt. She tiredly rubs her eyes and nearly flops down on the couch, ready for some tired snuggling when she spots a lonesome chair in the middle of the room where the coffee table used to be. Her heart skips a beat in fear. Did something happen to Alex? Is this some kind of ransom?

She spots a note on the chair.

 _Sit_.

That’s all it says in Alex’s handwriting.

Kara frowns and turns the paper over. _Don’t use your x-ray vision ;)_

“Okay Alex...I’m sitting!” Kara flops down on the chair. She fidgets anxiously and flinches when the low bass of a familiar song ramps up all around her. Her heart feels like it completely stops for a full five seconds before beating twice as fast when Alex saunters out of the bathroom. “Oh Rao…”

She understands now that using her X-ray vision might’ve ruined the surprise but it might’ve stopped the heart attack in her chest right now. Kara’s jaw drops, staring dumbly as Alex saunters over to her. There aren’t enough eyes to take in the whole picture of sexy Alex. Kara almost wishes she has eight eyes like the Arachinoid’s, but then again Alex wouldn’t enjoy their mating habits, which involves consuming their partner’s flesh, so it’s probably for the best Kara’s Kryptonian.

“Hey,” Alex says, stopping in front of Kara and fiddling with the ties of her silk robe. She pushes a hand nervously into her hair and smiles shakily. “So uh...what do you think?”

“Fuck.”

Alex’s eyebrows raise in amusement. “Did you just say fuck?”

“Hnngh?” Kara can’t seem to form any coherent thoughts while Alex is standing there, cutely fidgeting in that skimpy robe. She swallows thickly, eyes zeroing in on Alex’s cleavage peeking out. Heat suddenly hits her in the stomach and Kara squeezes her eyes shut when she feels the same throbbing in her eyes. “Fuck.”

“Kara?”

Alex runs her hand over Kara’s head, gently petting her and scratching at her scalp. She bites her lip, worried it’s a bit too much for them both.

“I’m fine I just…” Kara hisses as she digs the heel of her palm into her eyes. “I need a moment.”

“Okay.” Alex cautiously pulls her hand back but at Kara’s whimper she immediately starts caressing her hair again.

A few minutes later, Kara exhales deeply and cautiously peeks her eyes open. No heat except her flaming cheeks. “I’m sorry…”

“For what?”

Kara mumbles unintelligibly and ducks her head. She puffs out her cheeks with another huge exhale, barely able to maintain eye contact with Alex. This is too embarrassing. “I...I have problems...controlling my powers when you’re…” she gestures helplessly at Alex.

“What do you mean? You never had problems controlling them before.”

“That was before,” Kara gestures up and down Alex’s body, “all this.”

“Oh...Oh!” Alex’s mouth hangs open before she closes it back with a click. She grins, a blush on her cheeks as she sits across Kara’s lap and slides her hands across Kara’s shoulders. “So...you’re losing your cool around me huh?”

Kara huffs, looking away from Alex’s teasing eyes, which prove to be a very good (or bad) idea because now she’s just staring down into Alex’s robe. She can faintly see the outline of lingerie under there and Kara whimpers.

Tilting Kara’s chin up, Alex gives her a sultry grin before pecking her on the cheek and climbing off her. Kara almost follows her but Alex holds a hand to her chest, pushing her back down.

“Wait here.”

Kara watches as Alex goes to the closet and comes back out with a black scarf. Her eyebrows shoot up. “Uhh...Alex?”

“Are you okay with a blindfold?” Alex asks, winding the cloth around her hands. “We’ve talked about this...a little, but…”

There’s a worried crease between her eyes and Kara immediately nods.

“Yea, I’m fine with it.”

Alex smiles brightly, nearly skipping over to Kara. She sits right back on Kara’s lap, the robe gaping further, giving Kara a sneak preview of the corset underneath.

“Oh Rao.”

Kara’s view gets obstructed by the blindfold that Alex carefully wraps around her eyes. Kara pouts almost reaching out to yank it off but Alex tuts and kisses her forehead.

“No moving, no touching, got it?”

Kara nods so fast the blindfold loosens up a bit at the back, but Alex doesn’t notice. She hesitantly places her hands on Kara’s shoulders for balance, pushing up against Kara’s body slowly. Kara has to grab the seat of the chair to stop herself from touching Alex. With her eyes out of commission for the time being, her other senses heighten.

She realizes that the song never stopped playing and that it’s probably on a loop. Kara swallows thickly. That means there’s no way of knowing when the lapdance would stop.

Her breath gets caught in her throat when she hears the silk robe pool on the ground. Jaw dropping, Kara tries in vain to stifle her moan once Alex rolls her body against Kara’s face. Her nose catches against the top of the corset, she’s so tempted to drag it down with her but Alex pushes at her forehead and forces her back into the chair.

It’s too much for Kara. The wood splits under her fists and they both careen to the floor.

“Oh my God!” Alex chuckles, sitting on her haunches and watching as Kara yanks off her blindfold. “You broke the chair!”

“It’s...I…” Kara pouts and flops onto her back in the middle of the broken pieces of wood.

“It’s okay.” Alex crawls on top of Kara, cuddling into her neck. “Let’s face it, you just have zero chill around me.”

“Pssshhh…” Kara tapers off, not able to come up with a zinger. She can’t very well deny it with the destruction all around her. Wrapping an arm around Alex, Kara strokes the skin on her back, biting her lip when Alex shivers against her.

\---

“Danvers.”

Alex glances up from her phone, raising an eyebrow when Vasquez takes the open seat in front of her. “Vasquez.” She sips at her latte. “What’re you doing here?”

“Lunch.” Vasquez shrugs, taking the spare menu and browsing through it. “Got hooked on the sticky buns.”

“So you came all the way across the city for sticky buns?” Alex asks suspiciously.

“Craving some sweetness in my life.”

Alex narrows her eyes, but lets it go. She drums her fingers along the table, waiting for Kara to go on her lunch break so they can have their little date. Her body won’t keep still, nervous energy just waiting to be expelled. It’s their first casual date outside of their apartments, their first outing as an official couple. Maybe she should’ve planned something bigger, Noonan’s for lunch just seems so normal. They always do this.

It might be why Kara suggested it in the first place, to ease them into their relationship. Alex unconsciously smiles at that. Relationship. Finally.

“Alex!”

“Kara.”

Alex stands up to receive the exuberant hug. She closes her eyes, squeezing Kara tighter. Glancing around them, Alex takes a brave step and pecks Kara on the lips. Her heart hammers in her chest at Kara’s bright shy smile.

“Hey lovebirds,” Lucy says, nudging Kara so she could step through.

Kara’s smile grows wider at Lucy’s obvious approval. Alex blushes and sits down.

“Hey Lucy,” Vasquez greets, standing up so Kara could sit in her seat.

“Oh, did you want to join us?” Kara asks, really asking and not just being polite. She wouldn’t mind them eating with them. Well just a little bit maybe, she’d been looking forward to seeing Alex all morning.

“Nah, have fun on your date,” Vasquez say with a wink. She holds her hand out for Lucy.

Kara and Alex’s eyes widen when Lucy takes it.

“Wait…” Alex points to their joined hands. “You’re…”

Vasquez raises her eyebrows while Lucy winks at them. Alex’s jaw drops as they go to a different corner of the restaurant, away from their prying eyes.

“Did you know?” Alex asks Kara.

“I did not…” Kara says, blinking wildly. “Wow.”

Alex shakes her head, reaching over the table to hold Kara’s hand. “Hey…”

Kara giggles. “Hey.”

This time, Kara leans over the table and kisses Alex nice and slow. She cradles Alex’s cheek as she pulls back, her fingers sliding off as she sits back down.

“You two are so cute,” Violet says, coming by with a plate of sticky buns.

Kara beams at her, tightening her grip on Alex’s hand. “Thank you.”

Alex just grins at Kara, feeling like finally, after a long journey, this was where they were supposed to be.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> immo: We’re done! It’s been a long ride but my co-author had informed me that actually, we made some pretty good time on this. Thank you all for checking in on this. With the hiatus starting for Supergirl, hope this will tide people over… for those that are still watching, anyways. Glad Mon-El’s been tossed into space. Here’s hoping he stays there or crash lands on a planet that will kill him for being a slaver. Find me on tumblr if y’all want! Immopengu dot etc etc etc, you all know.
> 
> jae: Ahhh...the nice feeling of a FINISHED fic. Hope y’all enjoyed the ride. You can find me @justanexercise on tumblr where I sometimes posts snippets of stuff I want to write.


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